


Ever changing

by Gaarmeri



Category: Harvest Moon, 牧場物語つながる新天地 | Story of Seasons
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-23
Updated: 2018-01-05
Packaged: 2018-07-16 19:55:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 23
Words: 81,413
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7282498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gaarmeri/pseuds/Gaarmeri
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She was young and full of surprises. He was calm and honestly, he wasn't getting any younger. They didn't mix and they didn't quite match. They obviously weren't meant to be...were they?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A New Life

"If I don't see signs of life in the next 30 steps I will turn around", she told herself. She had been walking for what seemed like forever and she was about ready to give up. She should have agreed to ride with the kind lady that offered her a lift, but her ingrained habit of never trusting anyone prevented her from accepting, that was how she had survived so long in the city.

She was about to turn around and give up the idea of starting a new life when she saw huge gates in the distance. Her exhaustion melted away and she ran the rest of the distance. She imagined fields brimming with ripe crops, barns and coops filled with all types of animals, a house full of a loving family, a square replete of pleasant people who were actual happy to see her and...and...and?

"What's this?" She whispered. Her feet had taken her to a spacious area of...nothing? Wasn't this a merchant town? Perhaps today was a holiday? Or maybe, juuuuust maybe she had taken a wrong turn and ended up in another town. She panicked. No, that couldn't be, just as her hand reached for her map, a voice spoke.

"You must be Haruka, yes?" it asked. Haruka turned to look at the owner of the voice, a strict looking woman.

"Uh...yes. Yes, that's me." she said. The woman smiled and Haruka was suddenly reminded of her mother.

"Great, we've been expecting you. I'm Veronica, the Guild Master." Veronica gave Haruka a warm smile, which she returned. She had never heard of a Guild before, there weren't any in the town she grew up with and the city, as large as it was, didn't really have Guilds, more like cults, clubs and unions, but mostly cults. She remembered the time a crazy cult tried to get her to join them and she had to-"Welcome to our town." Veronica's voice effectively pulled Haruka out of her thoughts. Oh yeah, the town.

"It's..." Haruka hesitated, she needed the right words, "a nice town." she finished lamely. Haruka wasn't trying to be rude, nor was she trying to give undeserved praise, but that's how she felt about the town. It was nice, not great, not awful, but simply nice.

"Well thank you, we try our best." Veronica replied with a smile. Haruka was relieved to see that her words were not taken as an insult, but as a simple observation, she was going to like Veronica. "Unfortunately, due to slight complications your farmland is not yet ready for your arrival."

_Oh_ , Haruka thought, that was going to cost, she started wondering how it would affect her finances when Veronica pulled her from her thoughts once again.

"However we have arranged for you to stay with one of our senior farmers, will that be okay?"

"Oh, yeah, no problem." Haruka replied. She was relieved, she didn't even know if the town had an Inn. And did Veronica just say there were more farmers around? Back in her hometown her mother and father were the only farmers, unless you counted Mark, which most people in the island didn't.

"Here, let me take you to her place." They started walking around town, and Haruka's initial thoughts were reinforced. It was a beautiful town, but the deserted streets made it feel lonely, especially for Haruka, who lived in a bustling city not too long ago. They passed the edge of the town and into what looked like a forest. Where did this senior farmer live? The mountains? Another town? She was overthinking it, a bad habit of hers. However, it had been useful in the city where so many unpredictable things could happen. They walked in silence, giving Haruka the perfect opportunity to overthink some more. "This will be your farmland." Veronica announced, Haruka had been so absorbed in her thoughts she didn't notice her surroundings. Her farmland was big, sure, not as big as her mother's fields, but her mother was an insane workaholic. This, she could manage.

"It's great" she whispered, so absorbed in her farming fantasies that she forgot to keep the awe out of her voice.

Veronica gave a slight chuckle, "Come on, Miss Eda is this way." They made their way to the neighboring farm, it looked slightly like hers, but this one had a river. A house was surrounded with tilled plots of land, all bearing newly planted crops. Standing just in front of the house was a tiny woman old enough to be her grandmother. "Good evening, Miss Eda. This is Haruka, our new farmer."

The old woman smiled warmly at Haruka, "Hello dear, it is a pleasure to meet you."

Haruka felt herself return the smile without hesitation. "The pleasure is all mine, Miss Eda." They talked about Haruka's farmland arrangement and they bid their goodbyes. Eda prepared dinner and guided Haruka to what would be her room until her house was completed. "Here, dear. It was my son's old room. I hope you find it to your liking."

"Thank you so much, Miss Eda. Goodnight." Haruka said. Once she was alone she looked at her suitcase. She didn't feel like unpacking, so she took her pajamas from her suitcase and changed into them. She laid on her bed, waiting to fall asleep. Haruka felt her muscles relax, she had met exactly two people in this town, and she already felt welcomed. She had made the right choice, she knew it. Her new life started now.

 

* * *

_Nose block_ , he thought. He needed fresh air. He got up from his chair and stretched his stiff limbs. He would walk around the town, maybe go to the Trade Depot, and maybe even go listen to the river and soothe his soul. He walked around the town, occasionally stopping to chat with the residents, not because he wanted, but because it was the polite thing to do. He didn't crave human interaction, he just liked to walk, admire the scenery and occasionally search for inspiration in nature's scents.

He was about to enter the Restaurant when he saw Veronica escorting a young woman. The young woman stood out like a sore thumb. Not because she was short, nor because she was hauling a huge suitcase behind her, but because of her hair. Her strikingly blue hair was tied in a ponytail. Was that natural? It was true that he had heard of unusual hair colors before, but he had never seen one in this town besides Marian, and even then he knew the doctor dyed it every month or so. He continued watching the young girl until he realized he was staring. His cheeks flushed, how rude of him. He pulled himself together and entered the Restaurant, greeting Raeger and pondering about the possibilities of blue hair.


	2. Meetings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haruka's antisocial, Eda's passive aggressive, Fritz has too much energy, Raeger's a prick, and Klaus meets Haruka.

"You know, dear, I think it's time for you to socialize a bit more with the town residents," Eda said, and Haruka choked a little on her tea. It was almost lunchtime, and she had already finished her farm chores, dived into the river as much as she could and even chopped the last remaining trees from her property, so she was having a tea break with Eda.

"But Granny, I already know the town residents," Haruka whined, normally she would not be this childish, but Eda brought her need to be pampered.

 _This must be what having a grandmother feels like_ , she thought.

"Okay then, name five residents besides me," Eda challenged. Haruka smiled, she knew five.

"Well, there's-" she started.

"Fritz, Veronica, and Otmar don't count," Eda added in a playful voice. Well darn, that cut her list by more than half!

"Umm...Well...Gunther and his wife...and... Asche...?" Haruka added uncertainly. She knew Granny wouldn't count Asche as a resident and "his wife" wasn't precisely a name. She was doomed. "Oh! I also know..." She had met another farmer like herself. The one person responsible for her hiding in her farm every day, "...Elise" she grumbled. Her meeting with Elise had been so horrible it had scared her from going anywhere near town. Elise was the very embodiment of everything Haruka hated in a person. So no, Haruka didn't want to go to town and risk meeting Elise for a second time. Some may call that 'antisocial,' but quite honestly, she was perfectly happy playing the hermit farmer who only goes to town to ship turnips.

"Dear, I already told you Elise is the exception, not the norm," said Eda in the kind of voice you explain to a child that everything will be okay. "The majority of the residents are humble and caring."

Haruka sighed in defeat. "Okay, I'll go to town tomorrow, I have to ship some crops anyway. Do you have anything you need, Granny?" Haruka asked. She knew from experience that the walk to town was a tiring one. If it was tough for her, it must be harder for Eda.

"No thank you dear, but do try and make some friends, please?" Haruka’s face broke into a smile, Eda was the perfect grandma.

"Okay, Granny."

* * *

She could do this. How many crazy things had she done in the city? How many times had she said she liked to live on the edge? She left everything to come and start a new life for goodness' sake, not everyone could do that. Still, her fear of meeting other people like Elise and coming to dislike the town prevented her from stepping into it.

 _I promised Granny,_ Haruka thought. _I prooooooomised Granny_ , she thought again. Maybe if she repeated that mantra, again and again, it would give her the courage she needed. She repeated it once, twice, and when a couple of hundred times later she still didn't have the courage she gave up. _Well...I didn't exactly tell Granny which day...did I?_ she thought. Just as she had made enough excuses to justify her actions she heard a voice behind her.

"Hey, Haruka!" Fritz called. She turned around and saw him waving at her. Well damn.

"Oh, hey Fritz," she said, trying her hardest not to smack him across the face, run, and later convince him it was all a dream. She liked Fritz. He was friendly enough. Sure he was an airhead most of the time, but he had a unique charisma that prevented Haruka from hating him.

"Headed to town?" he asked, slightly out of breath from the light run.

"Uh, yeah" she answered, trying to convince herself that she indeed was trying to get into town.

"Great, me too, let's go together!" he said excitedly as he walked in the town's direction. That was classic Fritz; he didn't even wait for an answer. Still, Haruka was glad, maybe having Fritz by her side would make things easier.

Things were indeed easier. Fritz was a natural at this, people chatted with him, and he would introduce Haruka. They went to the Trade Depot to cash in their crops and wandered around town talking to people. Some, like Gunther the carpenter, who Haruka already knew, took very little conversation time, while others, like Raeger, took hours of it. Raeger was a good looking cook who offered Haruka a free dish to celebrate her finally coming to his restaurant. When Fritz asked for a similar treatment, he was met with a snarky reply. She could get used to this. Granny had been right; not everyone was like Elise. In fact, most people were the opposite of her. Haruka finished her meal and looked at the clock.

"Oh, hey guys, I gotta go," she announced. Fritz and Raeger looked at her in disappointment.

"Aw, already?" whined Fritz, "come on, stay a while longer." Raeger smacked him across the head with a towel.

"Fritz, she is a hardworking farmer. Unlike you, she has chores to attend to," he said with no real malice in his voice. He turned to look at Haruka, "Do try and visit more often, okay?" he told her.

"Of course" she answered with a smile. "Bye guys!" she called after she left the restaurant. She made her way back to her farmland, only stopping to admire the river. Haruka had had a good day. She had met almost everyone in town, and no one was remotely like Elise. She turned to return home when she bumped into someone.

"Oh sorry!" she apologized, stumbling backward. Her feet caught a slippery patch by the edge of the river, and she felt herself falling towards the river. _Great_ , she thought. It was not like she was a stranger to diving in the river, but falling in front of someone is an embarrassing thing in itself, let alone IN the river. She felt someone's arm catch her and pull her towards them.

"Do try and be careful, the edge of the river tends to be slippery, and I fret to think what would happen if you fell in," said the owner of the arm. Haruka looked up and saw a man. Their faces were close, too close, so she instinctively pulled away. "Oh, my apologies." The man sensed he had made Haruka uncomfortable and immediately let go if her.

"Oh no, I'm the one who should be apologizing," she stammered, feeling guilty for inconveniencing her savior. "And thank you for not letting me fall into the river."

"It was my pleasure," the man said, putting his hand on his chest. Something about him reminded Haruka of the Prince Charming of old animated movies; maybe it was his way of speaking. "And who would you be? I am deeply sorry, but I do not recall seeing you around town."

"I'm Haruka, the new farmer, a pleasure to meet you mister...?" she extended her hand. He took it in an instant.

"Klaus," he said placing a kiss on the back of her hand. Haruka's cheeks went red. "Pardon my intrusion, but the sun is setting, allow me to advise that you return home before the night falls," he added after letting go of her hand. Haruka had never liked being told what to do, not by her family, nor her friends, let alone a stranger but all she could muster in her dazed state was a quick nod. "Well then, let us part our ways." Klaus bowed slightly and waited until Haruka got the hint and made her way back to her farm.

Klaus watched Haruka's back as she returned home. He had finally met the farmer everyone was talking about. But something bugged him at the back of his mind. He distinctly remembered first seeing her with blue hair. Was it a trick of the light? But he swore to himself that the striking color had been blue. Then why in heaven's name was this girl's hair pale purple?


	3. Too Young

A few days had passed since Haruka and Klaus's first meeting, and he had seen her running around town and Trade Depot numerous times. Every time they met, they would stop and chat for a bit, but never for too long. Haruka always seemed to be busy, and Klaus didn't want to take more than necessary of her surely precious time.

Klaus was sitting at his workstation, weighting different ingredients when he glanced at the clock. It was almost two o'clock, and Asche was in town. _Haruka should be at the Depot by now_ , he thought. He put everything in order and picked up his long-tailed coat. He stepped out of the house and closed the door quietly behind him.

"Oh Klaus, what a surprise!" a familiar voice said, it was Iris. A surprise?

"What do you mean?" he asked, confused as he walked to Iris.

"Well, you're usually strolling through the woods or admiring the river at this hour," Iris answered, smiling in his direction. They walked together, as they always did when they had the time. Their lives were not particularly busy, but they did spend most of their time in front of their desks, Klaus mixing perfumes and Iris writing her novels.

"Oh, I had some work that needed finishing." He reminded himself that said work remained at his desk, unfinished. He should head back, he really should, but he felt the unstoppable need to go to the Depot.

Iris and Klaus walked in harmony, their steps perfectly synchronized. They had a connection, and how could they not? After everything they had spent together, Klaus regarded Iris as family, and he was certain the feeling was mutual. They had the type of connection that could only be achieved by knowing and trusting someone as much as they did, a connection that Klaus instantly broke when he walked down the stairs towards the Trade Depot.

"Where are you going?" Iris asked, not moving, eyes wide as she watched Klaus walk. Klaus did not respond; he just kept walking. "Klaus" she repeated, slightly worried, was something wrong with her friend? She knew Klaus was prone to indulge himself in his thoughts, but he had never failed to answer her calls.

It took Klaus a moment to register that Iris was calling for him, he stopped. “Are you not accompanying me?” Klaus was slightly confused as to why Iris was not by his side, weren’t they going to the Trade Depot together?

“I mean, I would, if you told me where we’re headed.” Iris crossed her arms, she was a bit mad, why was Klaus acting like she was the one who had failed?

"To the Trade Depot, of course.” He answered like it was the most normal thing in the world. Klaus was acting like he hadn’t just broken the routine and that worried Iris, Klaus was not someone who strayed too far from the path.

"Do you need something from the Depot?" she asked and Klaus frowned.

"Yes" Of course he needed something from the Depot, why else would he go? He needed...He needed to buy something from Asche, yeah, a flower of some sort. Iris's brows knitted in confusion but she still followed Klaus, "I am buying something."

"And what do you need to buy?" Iris asked in a similar voice she used when she wanted to pry information out of someone. A voice she'd never used on Klaus, he told her everything.

Klaus hesitated for a second. He knew he was going to the Trade Depot to buy something; why else would he go? A thought entered his mind, maybe he should mix a coffee based fragrance. Yeah, he'd always wanted to experiment with coffee, right? Never mind flowers, coffee was all the rage in the perfume world right now, he had read about it in... somewhere. "Coffee beans," he answered after a while.

After his response, they walked in silence. When the Depot's gates came into view, Klaus absentmindedly quickened his pace. Iris had to jog lightly to keep up with his friend, a feat that was remarkable given the dress she was wearing.

Klaus walked faster, and Iris tried her best to follow him. After almost tripping two times in a row she made up her mind, she'd had enough. Klaus was acting strange, and she wanted answers. No, she was going to demand answers.

"Klaus, what's going on-" she started but was quickly interrupted by Klaus.

"Hello, Miss Haruka," Klaus said, not hearing Iris.

"Hello Mister Klaus," Haruka smirked a little, her eyes were on Klaus, and it took a couple of seconds for her to notice Iris. "Miss... Miss Iris," Haruka’s stammer told Iris that Haruka didn’t really remember her name. Klaus gave a slight chuckle, and Iris's eyebrows rose.

"I have told you time and time again, you can call me 'Klaus,'" he said, it was Haruka's turn to chuckle. Iris felt like she was missing something.

"And I've told you to call me 'Haruka,' but you refuse." Iris was definitely missing something. "Two can play this game, Mister Klaus." There was an air of challenge in Haruka’s voice that made Iris' brows disappear into her hairline; nobody had ever talked to Klaus like that. She turned to look at him, but he didn't seem offended or disgruntled. Apparently, this was normal between them.

"I could not possibly do that!" he said, not bothering to hide the amusement in his voice. Haruka laughed, they exchanged comments about her farm, the weather and finally their goodbyes. Iris observed Klaus as he watched the retreating farmer's back.

"Okay, what's-" Iris started but was interrupted by Haruka running back to them. "Forgot something?" she asked, slightly annoyed at being interrupted for the second time today.

"Oh...yeah," Haruka said, her embarrassment clear on her cheeks. "He," she shoved a covered glass into Klaus's hands. "Goodbye for real now." Iris turned to look at Klaus, and she could have sworn she saw a faint blush on his cheeks. Still, she couldn't be sure since Klaus was covering his face with his free hand.

"Okay, let us get going, " he told Iris, and she nodded, momentarily forgetting her anger. He walked towards town but immediately stopped when he didn't hear Iris following him. He turned, puzzled. "Let us go...?" he asked, uncertain.

"Didn't you say you needed to buy something from the Depot?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at the surprised expression Klaus had not managed to compose in time.

"Oh...yeah, that is right" he whispered and slowly made his way to Asche. She followed him, and as soon as they arrived at the Silk Country's booth, everything clicked in her head.

"You fancy her," it was not a question, it was a statement. She had said it so simply, not bothering to think about her words' repercussions. "I was confused at first, but now, it all makes sense." She added, a smile tugging at her lips. She was happy, she really was. People thought of Klaus and her as an item, but they were just really close friends. And as Klaus's best friend, and why not, as an avid romantic, she had always wanted him to have his very own love story. A story that resembled those she wrote, perhaps without the added drama, but still. A story with flowers, hearts, and happy endings. A story that could be made possible by this new girl in town.

Iris had been so engrossed in her own thoughts she hadn't bothered to see what her words had caused. She turned to look at Klaus, he was very still, gripping a coffee bag between his hands. "Klaus, are you okay?" she asked, suddenly worried about him.

"I am fine," he quickly replied. He paid Asche for the coffee beans and put them inside his coat. "Let us go." Iris was confused but didn't press him further. She knew how private Klaus could be. He didn't like when a person questioned him about his personal affairs, even if that person was Iris. She usually just waited for him to tell her, which happened all the time. They walked along the empty streets in silence. That was the best and worst part of the town; there weren't many people around. It was great if you needed a quiet evening, but it was awful when your editor kept pestering you to move to a better-known place.

They arrived at her home and stood there for a couple of minutes. "Would you like a cup of tea?" she asked, and Klaus's eyes found hers. This was the phrase they used when they wanted to talk. It usually took a cup of tea and maybe some cookies to get the words flowing between them. Klaus cleared his throat, and she instinctively opened her door wide enough for both of them.

"Ah, no thank you. I have some work that needs finishing. Goodbye" Klaus turned around to walk back to his house. Iris was shocked, and to be honest, a little hurt. "Actually..." Klaus said, turning around once again, "you are wrong."

It took a moment for Iris to recover. "About what?" she asked, knowing all too well the answer to her question.

"About me fancying Haruka," he said, gaining confidence in his voice. "I do not."

Iris crossed her arms, "Oh, really?" she was trying her best to keep the sarcastic remark out of her voice. Given Klaus's reaction, she had failed.

"Yes, Iris. I am quite sure what my feeling are, you know, being me the one who feels them and all," he said, firing back with his own sarcastic remark. She smirked, he would never be this impolite to the residents, this was a side of his only Mistel, and she knew. "Besides..." he continued, "She is too young," he said, with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.


	4. Girl Talk

Haruka woke up, getting up so early had stopped being difficult the first couple of weeks. She changed out of her pajamas and gazed into her mirror, she should change the color soon. She smiled at the mirror one last time and exited the house.

Haruka took a minute to glance around her farm, liking what she saw. The little shack she had started with had been replaced by a decent farmhouse. She wished she could praise Gunther for the excellent work he had done renovating her house, but honestly, she had done most of the work, if not all of it. However, Gunther had built her a barn out of the goodness of his heart, and she was grateful for that. Inside the barn was Hanako, the cow Eda had graciously gifted her. Hanako was the cutest cow Haruka had ever tended to. She'd seen cows before, of course, but it was her father's job to care for them.

She watered the patches of turnips and potatoes and after that she spent some time with Hanako. Once her farm chores were finished she made her way to Eda's house. In early spring, Haruka had spent most of her time with Eda, either helping Granny water her crops or having a relaxing cup of tea. Nowadays though, she spent most of her time running around town. Still, she dedicated her entire mornings to Eda.

"Granny!" she exclaimed, running towards Eda.

"Hello dear, finished already?" Eda asked as she finished watering her almost ripe turnips.

"Yes. Do you need some help?"

"Oh yes. Could you go to town and ship some things for me?" Eda asked, putting her watering can away and wiping her hands on her apron.

"Sure thing, I was going to town anyways." Haruka answered with a smile. Eda and Haruka walked back to Eda's house.

Once there Eda gave Haruka a basket full of crops. "Here" Eda handed Haruka the basket, "Thank you so much, dear.”

"No problem, Granny.” Haruka turned around, “I'll get going then." She called over her shoulder.

"Have fun dear!" Eda exclaimed, "Oh! and..." Haruka turned her head in curiosity. "Maybe a nice pink would go great with your eyes" Eda finished. Haruka gave her a dazzling smile. She had been worried how people would react to her constantly changing the color of her hair, but if Eda had no objections then the others certainly wouldn't complain, would they?

Haruka reached her house and filled her pack with gifts for the villagers. She had always like gifting, something she’d inherited from her mother, but giving gifts to her friends in the city had proved impossible. Everything her friends wanted was either too expensive, illegal, or both. Maybe she had just needed new friends. Here though, where most of the villagers’ favorite things were insects, she could manage.

Haruka walked along the familiar trail, stocking up on bugs and stopping by the rivers to dive and collect fish. Swimming in the river was fun. She remembered swimming with her brother in the river that ran along the family farm, that was a nice memory. The memory of her mother scolding them when they soaked the couch for the fourth time though, was not so nice.

"Hey Haruka!" Fritz called as Haruka was pulling herself from the river.

"Oh, hey Fritz" she said, putting her shoes back on.

"Find anything good?" he asked with his usual goofy smile.

"Yep. Plenty of fish...Oh, and a brick." Fritz laughed, followed immediately by a slur of tips about when to dive and when not to, she didn't get it at all.

"Oh, here" Haruka pulled a caged butterfly out of her bag. Fritz excitedly accepted it, he always seemed to be excited about everything.

"Oh man, you're giving something this cool to me? Thanks, you're the bee's knees!" he said. Haruka smiled, he always said that but she still didn't know what the phrase meant, and at this point, she was too afraid to ask.

"Ah, sure. You going to town?" she asked, wringing her hair the best she could.

"Oh, I was gonna go help Granny," he scratched his head "but if you want me to go with you…" he trailed off with what appeared to be a blush in his cheeks, to Haruka's eyes though, it was a sunburn.

"That's alright. I'll be okay, you should go help Granny." Fritz's smile fell for a second before shooting right up.

"Okay then, see ya!" he exclaimed, waving as he ran into the distance.

Haruka straighten up and collected her bag. She continued walking to town, stopping every now and then to greet the villagers who walked along the trail. She entered town, smiling at everyone who passed by. Haruka loved the sense of community. A feeling she had long forgotten while living in the city.

"Hello Haruka!" a voice behind her said. Haruka turned around to see Iris waving at her. Haruka blinked twice before returning the wave. Weird. Iris and her didn't really talk that much. Except for that time with Klaus, and even then, Haruka and Klaus had done most of the talking, kind of leaving Iris on the sidelines.

Iris walked to her and Haruka tensed. Talking to new people wasn't her favorite thing.  _Suuuuure_  Iris wasn't exactly someone new, but she still would have preferred to have Klaus by her side.

"Haruka, I have been waiting for you." Iris said with a gentle smile.

"W-why?" she stammered. Waiting for her? What could Haruka possibly offer Iris? Maybe she wanted a favor, half the town's population seemed to be full of those. Anyways, everything would be fine as long as Iris didn't tell her they needed to talk.

Iris graced Haruka with another smile "I want to speak with you, if you don't mind." Well darn, that had just been a fancy way of saying ‘We need to talk’.

"I- I don't really think-" Haruka tried to excuse herself, but Iris was determined.

"It is important, I swear. Will you please come with me?" she asked in such a sweet voice that Haruka could have not resisted even if she tried, so she nodded. Iris clapped her hands in delight and led Haruka around town. They walked in silence so Haruka had plenty of time to think and fret over the situation. What did Iris want to talk about? She found herself wishing for Klaus's company and suddenly everything made sense. Iris wanted to talk about Klaus. She wanted Haruka to back off her man. She had certainly seen how much time Haruka and Klaus spend together.

Haruka could definitely see how this would bother Iris, Klaus was her boyfriend and Haruka was interfering in their relationship. Haruka didn't want any trouble, so she was about to tell Iris she would never see Klaus again when a thought flashed in her mind. She didn't want to back off Klaus, she enjoyed his company. He was smart and witty, sarcastic yet polite and he definitely wasn't hard to look at. They were just friends, surely Iris could see that, right? _Just friends_ , somehow the words bothered her. She didn't want to think about it any longer, let alone talk to Iris about it. She needed to get out of there.

"I-I still have some chores to do…" Her excuse as weak as her willpower. If even she could hear the lie in her words, she was sure Iris could too.

"You always come to town when you've finished your farm chores." Iris said in such a matter of fact voice Haruka wondered how she knew that. Had Iris been watching her? Had she been following her? Was she about to face the wrath of a jealous and, maybe, crazy girlfriend?

The two girls walked to the West side of town. Haruka's stomach turned, this side of town had all the houses and it was very…. secluded. She was about to be tortured, wasn't she? They stopped in front of a house that Haruka could only assume was Iris's. Yep, tortured  **and**  killed.

She had accepted her fate just when she noticed that Iris had opened the door without unlocking it first. "You didn't lock it?" she blurted out and blushed soon after.

"Well it would certainly be rude to lock the customers out." Iris said in a playful tone. Haruka was confused for a second, but it all made sense when she saw Mistel behind a counter.

"You run a store here?" Haruka murmured to no one in particular.

"Yes, and quite honestly I'm somewhat offended it took you so long to find out." Mistel said from behind the counter.

"I-I'm sorry…" Haruka stammered slightly flustered. She didn’t know what is was about Mistel, but whenever he was around she felt weird. The first time they had met he seemed polite and well mannered, but her instincts had told her not to go near him. There was something about his aura or presence or whatever that made Haruka’s self-preservation instincts go off.

"It's okay, I'll forgive you if you dye your hair my favorite color." he added with a smile that could pass as playful but that didn’t feel benign. Haruka blushed, Mistel's teasing had struck a nerve, she'd done that before.

"Pay no mind to Mistel, come on." Iris took Haruka's hand and lead her up the stairs.

"Where are we going?" Haruka asked, trying hard to contain her rising panic. She didn't know this place and she wasn't in her element, she wanted out.

"To the kitchen!" Iris exclaimed merrily. Haruka was a natural over thinker, but thinking Iris was going to murder and cook her had to be some kind of new record.

"Why?" she asked. 'Why' seemed to be the wrong question she needed to be asking, but it was the only sound she could muster up.

"Well to cook of course, come on Haru!" Iris tugging became more insistent. Haru? Cook? Of course? Was this the most obvious thing in the world? "What do you think about Klaus?" Iris asked, pulling Haruka from her thoughts. Wow, the question had come out of nowhere, it took Haruka by surprise.

"We're friends" she said, trying her hardest to sound convincing. Haruka didn't want any problems with Iris.

"Just friends…?" Iris trailed off, her voice sounding somewhat disappointed.

"Yes! There's nothing going on between us, I swear. I would never even think of going out with a taken man! We're just good friends, he is smart and sometimes funny and and..." Haruka blurted in a rush, she felt the need to explain herself, to explain the reasons she sought Klaus's company, and to convey that there was nothing romantic between them.

"Haru" Iris interrupted Haruka's barrage of words. Haruka looked up and saw Iris's delighted but surprised face. "You are mistaken. Klaus and I are not romantically involved. But I'm extremely happy to hear you think so highly of him." She giggled. "Do you know what day is tomorrow?" she asked, not letting Haruka process what she just heard.

"24" Haruka answered without thinking. One of the perks of being a farmer was always knowing what day she was or would be in.

"Wrong! Well, no. Yes, you're right. But tomorrow is also Klaus's birthday!" Iris exclaimed happily. Tomorrow was Klaus's birthday? He hadn't told her. What did he like? She knew he liked Carrot Juice, it was what she'd been giving him all this time, but it felt wrong to celebrate his birthday with something she gave him every day. Birthdays were special. Maybe she could make one of the perfume recipes that came with her Seed Maker. She could even ask Raeger to teach her how to bake a cake! Haruka was already making plans and opening up her schedule. She could finish early and be a Raeger's by 11am.

Haruka was wondering what kind of flavor the cake ought to be when Iris spoke again. "Do you know what his favorite dish is?" Haruka frowned. No, she did not. "It's bouillabaisse" Iris continued without a direct answer. Boulli-what? Was she expected to know what that was when she couldn't even pronounce the name?

"I don't even know what that is…" Haruka muttered, slightly annoyed. She was mad, not at Iris, but at the sudden realization that she knew close to nothing about Klaus. Sure, she knew he liked carrot juice, but that was where her Klaus knowledge ended. They talked almost every day, but it was always about trivial matters. None of them had opened up to the other, at least not yet.

"It's a fish," Iris said, her cheerfulness was apparently unaffected by Haruka's tone. "It's pretty simple, but it does have its trick." Haruka wasn't even trying to follow the conversation anymore. Apparently that showed on her face because Iris continued "I'm going to teach you how to cook it."

"But why?" asked Haruka.

"So you can have something to give Klaus, of course. Or were you planning on giving him something else?" Iris winked at the end of her suggestion and Haruka blushed. No, she hadn't just been planning what to give Klaus and opening up her schedule, of course not.

"I... no." She replied, Iris didn't need to know her plans.

"Great, then, let's get cooking!" Iris exclaimed and Haruka gave a little nod. Iris took out pans and pots and Haruka suddenly spoke her mind.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked, truly curious. Why would Iris help her prepare a gift for Klaus? Why go to such lengths for someone you barely talked to? "What exactly is your relationship with Klaus?" There, she said it. She had finally said the one thing that had been bothering her. Sure, Iris had said Klaus and her were not romantically involved, but their relationship felt strangely...intimate.

"We're just friends" Iris answered in a soft voice, "that's all you need to know for now. So, shall we?"

"Sure." Haruka said in almost a whisper. She noticed that the question had upset Iris, even if she barely showed it. She wanted to know. She craved to know the nature of their relationship, but she would not press Iris.

Bouillabaisse’s trick turned out to be a lot of patience. Haruka's mind wandered while she worked. If Iris was not Klaus's partner, then that meant he was still single. This arose Haruka's curiosity. How could someone who was a perfect gentleman still be single at his age? He would certainly be a great catch...for any lady. Klaus's image popped into Haruka's head, beside him was a faceless girl, holding onto him. The image bothered Haruka. No, Klaus didn't deserve someone faceless.

"Have you gotten the hang of it, Haru?" Iris suddenly asked, pulling Haruka from her thoughts.

"Yeah, most of it is waiting" she answered.

"The seasoning! The trick is in the seasoning!" Iris exclaimed, grabbing Haruka by the shoulders and shaking her lightly in mild exasperation. Haruka laughed and Iris joined soon after. This evening was turning quite nice. The girls finished their dishes, the fish Iris made looking way better than Haruka's. Iris assured her that it looked good for a first attempt, and that they would try again tomorrow. Haruka gathered her stuff and headed towards the door. "Oh, and one last thing…" Iris called from behind her. Haruka turned her head to give Iris her full attention "Klaus's favorite color is blue…" Iris said, bidding Haruka goodbye.


	5. My Birthday

Klaus woke up to the smell of a mature perfume. He usually mixed fragrances at night and left them to set while he slept. He changed out of his pajamas and looked at himself in the mirror. Today was his birthday and it showed. He was slowly but surely turning into an old man. Wait, no, he already was an old man.

He sighed at himself, when did birthdays start to affect him so much? He didn't know. Well, he DID know, he just didn't want to admit the reason to himself. He didn't want to acknowledge that he craved the company of a certain female farmer. He had longed for youth since their first meeting, because an old man taking interest in such a young thing was plain creepy.

His thoughts were getting depressing, so he turned his attention to the perfume he'd been mixing the night before. He picked up the vial and gave it a sniff. Ah, the touch of chamomile really gave it a calming effect. The perfume would be perfect for Haruka. A couple of days ago he had seen the little farmer running around the mountain area, and the again around town...AND AGAIN around the Trade Depot. Haruka always seemed to be hurrying somewhere, the hours of the day were never enough for the farmer. Klaus felt the need to help her relax and the only way he knew was through the power of smell. Klaus would give Haruka the perfume later, perhaps in the mountain trail where he usually saw her. 

 

* * *

 

Klaus walked along the trail, trying his hardest to stop himself from eagerly turning his head from side to side in search of Haruka. However, Haruka was nowhere to be found. He checked and double checked but there was no sign of her by the trail. Neither was she near the river nor anywhere in town. He briefly considered just going to her farm and knocking on her door, but that would be desperate, and he wasn't at that level, at least not yet. Klaus's stomach growled, a sound he was not accustomed to since he never skipped meals. He sighed in defeat, the perfume could wait, food was a priority.

As he walked back home he couldn't but feel a bit disappointed. He had grown accustomed to Haruka's presence. He saw Haruka every day, bumping into her several times a day, and stopping to chat every single time. Even when he'd go to the nearby city and spend most of his day there, she'd always be at the Depot when he returned.

For the second time today, his thoughts were getting depressing. He didn't feel like cooking, perhaps he should go to Raeger's and treat himself, it was his birthday after all. As he was making his way to the restaurant he heard a woman shout.

"Haru wait!" It was Iris's voice. Klaus froze in place.

"What's the matter, Iris?" Klaus heard Haruka answer. It couldn't be, Haruka could not be in town, he had checked! He tried to get visual confirmation that it was indeed Haruka, but the buildings were hiding her from view. Fate was not on his side.

"You forgot the basket!" Iris said. This was it, this was Klaus's opportunity to give Haruka the perfume.

"Oh, thanks! Gotta run!" Klaus heard Haruka reply. He was so close; he was only missing a few steps and... she was gone. The sun was shining in his eyes but Haruka's unmistakable form was running into the distance.

"Oh! Hello birthday boy!" Iris exclaimed when she spotted Klaus. "Let me give you your hug!" she threw her arms in the air and then at him. He was disappointed by Haruka's departure, but he still returned the hug wholeheartedly, Iris deserved as much. "I'm sorry I took so long to come see you."

"It is quite alright, no worries." Klaus reassured her, gently patting her back. "Was that Haruka?" he asked before he could stop himself. He already knew the answer, but a little confirmation wouldn't hurt anybody.

"Oh yes, we had such a lovely conversation." Iris said, clapping her hands together, a sign she always used when she was pleased at something she did. Klaus frowned, if Iris was pleased at herself after talking to Haruka, that could only mean one thing. "What's wrong?" Iris asked, brows knitting in concern. She had always been like that, she always knew when Klaus had something in mind. He analyzed her expression and decided there was no benefit in hiding his suspicions from her.

"Would you terribly mind telling me what you were talking with Haruka?" he asked, no point in beating around the bush either. Iris looked a bit surprised, but she quickly rearranged her features into an award winning smile.

"Oh, just some girl stuff, the usual." She said, and Klaus didn't believe that in the slightest.

"I don't believe you." he stated, still Iris's expression didn't change and that annoyed him a bit. He had and ugly feeling in his stomach, a feeling he quickly realized was fear. He was afraid, he was afraid Iris had told Haruka about his, for lack of better words, _little crush._ Sure, Iris may see nothing wrong with it, but what if Haruka did? What if she started avoiding him because she thought he was disgusting?

He felt frustrated and in need of explaining himself. He would have to talk to Haruka later, but in the meantime, Iris would have a piece of his mind. "Iris, did you tell Haruka about our conversation? Because if you did I told you, you were utterly mistaken and I cannot believe you did that to me because we have been friends for a long time and friends do not-" the words flowed from his mouth, not really caring about proper sentence structure. Iris just stood there, taking all his words in. When he stopped his little rant, she spoke.

"Are you finished yet?" she asked in an even voice. Klaus thought for a moment and nodded. "Okay then...Klaus, what makes you think we were talking about you?" she asked. Iris always knew what to say, for better or for worse, Klaus guessed it came with the job of being a writer. She had only said one sentence and it made him see how selfish he had been. Iris was right, what assured him the girls were discussing him? For all he knew, they could have been talking about the weather! When had he become so selfish? "She has a life outside of you, you know..." Iris softened her voice, but it didn’t change the fact that Haruka indeed had a life outside of him. The simple statement, despite being full of truth, hurt. Klaus sighed.

"You are right. I apologize for my self-centeredness."

"That is a word I haven't used in a while. Thanks for broadening my vocabulary." Iris recovered her smile.

"Always my pleasure," Klaus smiled for what seemed the first time today. "Would you mind accompanying me for a lunch? It is my birthday after all." he said, bowing respectfully.

"Ah, always the gentleman." Iris uttered. They walked together to the restaurant. Klaus kept a pleasant smile on his face, but inside, let's just say inside wasn't so pleasant.


	6. His Birthday

The sun had set. Haruka had never been in town at night, everything looked so different. She was so used to the bright lights and loud sounds that came with night life in the city that the town looked almost boring in comparison.

Haruka stood in front of Klaus's house. She was wearing brand new clothes, courtesy of her Sewing Studio, and carrying a basket full of food for two. Needless to say, Haruka felt extremely silly, oh, and nervous. Perhaps the new clothes were a bit of an overkill, after all she didn't want to give Klaus the wrong idea. Haruka was doing this out of pure friendship, totally.

She was nervous. Haruka had wanted to celebrate with Iris and Klaus, but Iris had insisted she had something to do that evening and couldn't go. She was so nervous. Haruka had asked Mistel too, but apparently he too was busy. Did she mention she was nervous? Because she was. And finally, she was too shy to ask anybody else in town, curse her antisocial tendencies.

She stared at the door, gathering her courage. She could do this, it was just a nice birthday dinner between friends, right? Haruka knocked on the door. She heard footsteps coming from the other side and immediately regretted her decision. If she was fast enough she could make a run for it and just-

"Yes?" Klaus opened the door, eyes going wide as he registered who was in front of him. "Miss Haruka?" he asked, apparently surprised by her presence. 

_Oh well..._  Haruka thought, it was too late to run now, might as well enjoy the moment.

"Hey Mister Klaus," she said, her voice not reflecting the tremble in her hands.

"What are you doing here so late at night?" He asked, the concern in his voice was unmistakable. Haruka frowned, of all the things Klaus could do, this one was the one that bothered her the most. Klaus always acted as if Haruka was made out of glass. The first few times she had thought of him as a gentleman, then it slowly receded into cute, and now it was just plain annoying. It wasn't even that late.

"What? You would rather have me gone, birthday boy?" she asked with false confidence and a smirk plastered on her face. She knew how to fluster Klaus and she did every time she could, it was amusing. Her attempts succeeded and Klaus frowned.

"That is hardly what I meant, Miss Haruka. I just wanted to- wait,” his head snapped down and Haruka’s lips gave a twitch, she hated the height difference. “What did you just call me?" he asked, sudden realization hitting him. Haruka suddenly remembered the reason she was standing in front of Klaus's house. She smiled and offered him the basket.

"Happy birthday, Mister Klaus." Klaus stared at the basket. After a second, one of his hands went immediately towards his face, partially covering it.

"Ah...Thank you, Miss Haruka" he said, accepting the gift. They both stared at the floor, neither of them making a sound.

"Well, then I should-" Haruka started, thinking she could bail. She tried to take a step back but Klaus's hand took her own.

"Wait!" he exclaimed. Haruka turned to look at him with wide eyes, she had never heard him raise his voice. Klaus was flustered again. "Have dinner...with me?" it sounded more like he was asking himself if those were the correct words rather than inviting Haruka, but she nodded. "Here." Klaus opened the door wide enough to let Haruka pass through.

This was the first time Haruka had been at his house. Everything looked so...Klaus. The furniture, the walls, heck even the kitchen was a clear image of who he was. Haruka felt the need to laugh, the fact that she could have stumbled into the house by accident and still guess that this was Klaus's house was funny to her.

"I was not expecting guests, but is there anything specific you would like me to prepare?" Klaus asked, looking down at Haruka. It was not fair; the extreme height difference was not fair at all.

"No need." Haruka said, slightly annoyed at how she had to look up to answer.

"Miss Haruka, I invited you to have dinner with me. I refuse to eat alone while you watch." Klaus frowned and crossed his arms, he almost looked like a child. This time Haruka laughed out loud.

"No, you misunderstand. The basket, it has food," she snatched the basket from Klaus, "for us!" she added merrily. Klaus just stood there, dumbfounded.

"You...planned this?" he whispered, a faint blush spreading across his cheeks.

"Here, the birthday boy should sit down while I serve." Haruka skipped across the living room to the kitchen. She apparently had not heard what Klaus had said.

"Please, allow me to-"

"I said 'the birthday boy should  **sit down** '" Haruka put a lot of emphasis in the 'sit down' part, making it clear that she would not take a 'no' for an answer.

"I..." Klaus tried, but thought it through and decided the best course of action was to obey. "I am hardly a boy, but I will comply." A smile was playing at his lips. It felt good to be pampered like this every once in a while.

Haruka chuckled, Klaus always used complicated vocabulary. His sentences were always adorned with words, that perhaps were unnecessary, but made them sound elegant. Every once in a while Klaus would pull out a word so obscure Haruka had to look it up in Eda's old dictionary. In fact, Haruka had been so fascinated by the way Klaus spoke that she had taken to imitating him every time she could. It was fun  _and_  educational!

"Here you go!" Haruka placed a plate of the boullsomething she had made in front of Klaus. He stared at him, he could not believe his eyes. "Sooo...what do you think?" she asked, after a brief awkward silence.

"Is this bouillabaisse?" Klaus looked at the plate in front of him in awe.

"Yep! I made it!" Haruka exclaimed, feeling very proud of herself. It wasn't like it took her three times to get the freaking fish soup right.

"I love this, thank you Haruka." Klaus said, his smile so full of joy that it took Haruka by surprise.

Words werw failing Haruka at the moment but she managed to sputter a small ‘You’re welcome’. She sat down across from Klaus and they both dug in. They ate in silence, none of them sure of what to say. Conversation had always come easily to them, but their conversation topics until now had always been shallow. The weather, the town, the mountains, the wild animals, they all felt inappropriate today. It seemed, to the both of them, that a birthday dinner conversation should hold a little more meaning. The question was, who would be brave enough to take the step?

"This is delicious, Miss Haruka. May I ask where you learned to prepare such an exquisite bouillabaisse?" Oh, smooth. He had complimented her  _and_ inquired about something that wasn't so personal. Haruka wished she could one day reach Klaus's skill with words.

"Oh, I learned just recently. Iri-" Klaus narrowed his eyes at Haruka's words. "I-I read a cooking book." Somehow she didn't think bringing up Iris's involvement in the whole 'dinner party' idea would be good. It’s not like she wanted to hog the credit but the way Klaus’s eyes had narrowed spelled danger.

"Oh, I see…" Klaus did not sound at all convinced. "May I also ask; how did you know the date of my birth?" Haruka let out a laugh and Klaus almost jumped in surprise. "Is something funny?" he asked, at total loss.

"I'm sorry...It's just..." she said, clutching her stomach. "'Date of birth'." She could not contain her laughter, "Why do you have to put it that way? What's wrong with 'birthday'?"

"Is something wrong with the way I speak?" Haruka could not believe her eyes, was Klaus actually _pouting_? "It is not grammatically incorrect." He crossed his arms, the simple gesture made him look younger than he really was.

"Well, you're not wrong. It's just amusing to me." Haruka smiled, "Your way of speaking is very particular." She rested her face on her hands. Klaus blinked once, then twice and finally he smiled too.

"Well, I am delighted to hear that my way of speaking brings you joy. Still, you have not answered my question, how did you know of my 'birthday'?" Klaus smirked at the word birthday. Haruka noticed this and responded with one of her own.

"Oh, I have a calendar back home with everyone's birthdays marked on it. Isn't it crazy?" She answered, guessing, once again, that keeping Iris out of the loop was certainly for the better. Klaus looked taken aback, but it really wasn't a lie. She did have a calendar with important events marked on it. Festivals, trading days and birthdays were all marked in there. She wanted to believe it had been Veronica who marked her calendar in hopes of making her life a bit easier and not an extremely nice and knowledgeable burglar.

"Do you really?" Klaus asked with sudden interest. He didn’t have a magical calendar with every important date marked on it but he had Iris, which was about the same.

"Yep, I'm guessing it was Veronica, or maybe Eda. It still gave me a fright the first time I noticed though." Her mind wandered to the first time she had noticed; she’d slept with her hammer in hand that night. They fell into easy conversation, opening up little by little.

"Miss Haruka, have you ever been to Rose Country?" Klaus asked after their discussion about the best cuisine in the world. Klaus had claimed the Rose Country had the best food while Haruka maintained her mom's cooking was the best.

"Oh, no. I haven't traveled all that much. I used to live on an island, you see." Klaus clung to every word that left Haruka, "After my 18th birthday I moved to the city."

"Why?" Klaus asked without hesitation. Haruka looked at him, she had not been expecting such a personal question. "I- I mean, if you wish to tell me, it is okay if you do not, I just really..." Klaus stammered when he saw her expression, his flustered self was so cute. Haruka smiled.

"It's okay. I guess I just wanted to experiment, you know? Living on an island, well it's not for everybody." Haruka remembered her past life. She loved her family, she really did but after 18 years of the same routine, the same places and the same faces. She’d wanted more. She’d longed to see the city her mother and father often spoke about. She’d longed to meet new people, new places and to experiment. Her time in the city had ended after she’d realized that maybe that had not been what she wanted at all. Her mind tended to change a lot and that had led her to make drastic changes to her life twice. Haruka looked up, Klaus was staring at her, waiting for her words. "Have you traveled a lot?" she asked, flustered by the sudden attention he was giving her.

Turns out Klaus loved to travel. He had visited many places, some of them Haruka didn't even know about. Their conversation dragged even after the dessert had been eaten and the clock had struck midnight. It was only after Haruka yawned for the third consecutive time that Klaus dared look at the clock.

"Oh my, it is already this late." Klaus was slightly ashamed that he had kept Haruka up until now.

"Yeah, I should be getting back." Haruka stretched her stiff limbs as she got up. Klaus grabbed his tailcoat and headed towards the door. Haruka’s eyes narrowed, she knew where this was going. "What are you doing?"

"I am walking you back home. Come on now." Klaus said like it was the most logical thing in the world.

Haruka scoffed, "No, you are not. I can walk by myself." Haruka was slightly ticked off by Klaus's concern. She could at least walk home alone. She was not a kid, she was a full grown woman, and she would not be treated like this by no-

Klaus grabbed her chin and forced Haruka to look at him. "I am not implying you are incapable of returning home by yourself, I am doing this for me. I am selfish. Will you please allow me to walk you back home?" Had his gaze always been this intense? Haruka nodded without a word and both of them stepped out of the house.

The night wasn't cold enough to require a coat, but it still made Haruka shiver. "Here, that outfit has a nice color to it, however you may catch a cold." said Klaus, draping his coat around Haruka's shoulders. So he had noticed her new clothes, how nice.

Haruka hugged the coat around her, "Thanks." They walked in silence. The trail looked like a different world beneath the moonlight. Each tree, flower and patch of grass gave off a different color.

"Miss Haruka," Klaus suddenly said.

"Yes, Mister Klaus?" Haruka answered.

Klaus adverted his eyes, "Can I ask you something?"

"You already did, but you may ask me another thing." she smirked, remembering all the times her father had used that awful dad joke on her.

Klaus chuckled, "Ah, I am eternally grateful for your kindness." He joked, "Did...have...Ah, do you change your hair often?" He was still not looking at her, opting to look at the ground instead. Klaus was afraid he had stepped over the line. This was surely a personal question and he had no right to make it. The darkness hid the blush in his cheeks. Haruka's eyes went wide. Had he not noticed earlier?

A laugh was threatening to spill but she contained it, if Klaus had to ask maybe he didn’t really know. "I, yeah. I change it every other week. Had you really not noticed?" She could not decipher Klaus's expression, mainly because he was studying the ground with fierce determination. After a few second she asked, "Do you not like it?"

The question got Klaus's attention. His head snapped upwards, not by much but still upwards. "That is not it. I think your hair looks beautiful, especially in that shade of blue." He answered without hesitation. Haruka's face went red, he had noticed after all. He had also noticed the shade of blue. It, of course, was a coincidence that she had dyed her hair in his favorite color. "Why do you change it?" The question took Haruka by surprise. She had never been asked the reason she changed her hair color, nobody really cared.

"I..." she could tell him, but she realized she didn't want to. He would laugh, he would judge. She was not ready, at least not yet. "Oh look, we are here." Her farm was the ringing bell that saved her. Klaus took the hint and didn't press the issue. He walked her all the way to her door. "Thanks for walking me home, Mister Klaus." She said, returning the coat that had been covering her.

Klaus bowed like he did when he bid her goodbye, or when he thanked her, or when- Klaus actually bowed a lot. "It was my pleasure." Klaus took the coat and put it on. He was patting the coat back in place when he felt something in his pocket. The perfume! "Oh, here. This is for you, please accept it." he said, handing her the bottle of perfume he had been working on. She took it carefully.

"For me? Really?" Klaus nodded. Haruka’s face started to break into a smile but it instantly became a frown.

"Is it not to your liking?" he asked, suddenly worried she had not liked his gift.

"It's not that..." she mumbled, she was conflicted. "Why is it, that it is _your_  birthday, and I'm the one with a present?" Klaus’s worry evaporated in a second and he laughed at her remark.

"You have already given me so much, Miss Haruka. It is only fitting that I return a little of your kindness." He smiled at her, she was really cute without even trying.

"Still, I gave you food and you gave me perfume. I just wish I had given you something more lasting..." she trailed off. Klaus wanted to tell her that his perfume paled in comparison with all she had given him. He wanted to tell her how much the dinner had meant to him, and assure her that she had given him so much more. Still, he felt selfish, he had been selfish all night.

"You want to give me something more lasting?" he asked, his voice almost a whisper. If it wasn't for the quiet of the night Haruka might have missed it, instead, she nodded. He could do it, he felt bold, his heartbeat quickened as he said, "Then call me Klaus, just Klaus." He was such a wild child...well, wild adult. Haruka's laugh didn't miss a beat.

Haruka considered calling him ‘Just Klaus’ but she feared she might turn into a dad if she made any more awful jokes. "Okay then, Klaus, but you have to call me Haruka. Deal?" she offered him her hand and Klaus could only smile.

"Deal" he took her hand and shook it. They said their respective goodbyes and parted ways.

Haruka entered her home and changed clothes. She had had a good time. Talking to Klaus always put her in a good mood, but tonight had been special. He had opened up and so had she, something she rarely did. She took the bottle of perfume he had given her and gave it a sniff. "Ah, it's so calming."


	7. A Competition

Haruka hated summer. Sun, heat, and sweat, those were the words that came to mind whenever someone mentioned the season. She'd thought she would come to enjoy summer in her new life, but after a few days into the hot season she had realized that was not going to happen. It was one thing to walk beneath the blistering sun, but it was an entirely different thing to plow fields, sow seeds, and water her crops.

The first day of Summer had been horrible. Being beneath the sun had marked her skin with angry blotches of red. Haruka had tried to water her crops in the morning to avoid doing heavy work during the sun's peak hours, but even walking to town to meet the new trader had taken most of her energy away. That's how Haruka became, once again, the reclusive farmer who only went to town to trade in her crops.

Haruka was inside her house relaxing in front of a fan when she heard a knock on her door. She jumped a little, no, she had not just been talking into the fan to make her voice sound like a robot, she was a respectable adult. She got up and opened her door to reveal Eda.

"Granny!" Haruka exclaimed, immediately making room for Eda.

"Hey, dear" Eda walked in and settled herself by Haruka's tea table. "Here, I brought you something for your skin." Eda handed her a basket filled with a mixture of herbs and flowers.

Haruka smiled. "Thank you, Granny. You shouldn't have." She recognized some of the herbs, they should help calm her itchy skin.

"If that is what it takes to get you out of the house, then I don't mind." Eda said. Haruka had noticed that Eda was a bit passive aggressive, and with that she meant VERY.

"It's just that I don't like the heat..." She wasn't lying. She preferred the cold. Let's put it this way, when you're cold, you could just add layers of clothing, but when you're hot, what could you do? Tear off your skin? Sacrifice a virgin to improve the weather? Actually, that didn't sound like a bad idea at all. She bet she could get Fritz to-

"It is just something you will have to grow accustomed to. Dear, do you remember how you loathed waking up in the morning? Now you are up before me!" Eda explained and Haruka sighed. Eda was right. When you are a farmer, you can't just negate an entire season. Seasons were supposed to be farmers’ best friends. "Cheer up, dear. A nice trip to town will put you back in a good mood." Haruka sighed in defeat. She noticed she did that a lot when Eda was around.

 

* * *

 

Oh God...OH GOD, it was so hot. Haruka tried her best to stay under the trees. She hopped from shadow to shadow in hopes that it would spare her skin from the sun. She didn't remember summers being this unforgiving back in the island.

"Hey Haruka! What...are you doing?" She had been mid jump when she heard the voice. This was so embarrassing. She turned around to see Fritz. "Oh, you're playing? You should've invited me!" Was his easy response. She suddenly didn't feel that embarrassed anymore, after all, this was easygoing Fritz.

Haruka laughed, "No, I'm just trying to avoid the sun."

"So it's true?" Fritz got in the tree's shadow with her.

"What's true?" Haruka asked, curious.

"That you haven't been in town because of the sun." Oh...Now THAT was embarrassing. It was enough that Eda mildly mocked her aversion to the heat, but it was another thing having the entire town make fun of her. Suddenly the prospect of going to town didn't seem very appealing at all.

"I..." How could she explain in a way that wasn't both pathetic and weak?

"No worries! You'll get used to it! In my first summer here I was red for the entire season!" Fritz laughed, but Haruka was confused, wasn't he going to make fun of her? "Oh, and while you get used to it I'll play 'avoiding the sun' with you!" Fritz's goofy smile made Haruka feel at ease.

"I... Sure, thanks Fritz." she was still feeling a bit embarrassed, but it wasn't because of her heat problem, but because of Fritz's attitude. How could he say such embarrassing things out loud?

"Shall we get going then?" he said with his hands behind his head and a bright smile on his face.

"Yeah, let's go."

 

* * *

 

Fritz and Haruka entered town and she couldn't help but feel relieved to be back again. "I'll race you to Raeger's!" Fritz shouted as soon as they were in town. Haruka was startled, but raced Fritz nonetheless. Perhaps it was his own way of keeping her under the sun as little as possible. Fritz was being considerate and Haruka felt a tiny pang of guilt for not giving him the recognition he deserved.

Both of them arrived at Raeger's at the same time, still Fritz claimed it was Haruka's win, he was being a little too nice today. They opened the door to the restaurant and Raeger greeted them.

"Hey Fritz, oh and who is this? A new resident?" said Raeger with a smirk. Haruka rolled her eyes. "Oooh, the new resident has an attitude."

"Always a pleasure, Raeger" Haruka replied in a pleasant tone. At least Raeger was acting like his normal self and not being overly nice like Fritz.

"Heard you have a sun phobia, are you okay leaving your cave?" he was maintaining a conversation while gathering ingredients, he was a true chef.

"I think I'll manage; we've been avoiding the sun." Haruka motioned at Fritz who pumped his fist into the air.

Raeger face palmed. "I mean...I kind of expected it from him, but you? Really?"

"Hey! What do you mean by that?" Fritz asked and Raeger turned to look at him.

"Nothing, Fritz, nothing." Raeger paused for a second, as if debating something in his mind. After a few seconds he turned to look at Fritz, "Hey could you go get me some flour from the back?"

"Sure, man. How many bags?"

"As many as you can carry." Raeger's sweet smile told Haruka he had ulterior motives. Fritz, however, was oblivious to the fact and jumped from his seat to help his friend. As soon as he was out of sight Haruka turned to look at Raeger.

Haruka narrowed her eyes. "Why did you do that?" Raeger's sickening sweet smile stayed in place. Haruka could only guess how many girls had fallen for that smile.

"I don't know what you're talking about, dear." Over 50, it had to be over 50 girls.

Haruka groaned, "'As many as you can carry', you do realize he's gonna injure himself, right?"

"I wouldn't even doubt it, but there's something more important." Raeger took a bottle from behind his counter and set it front of her. "Here, take it." Haruka looked at the bottle, it seemed to be...ointment? Cream? Raeger read the confusion in Haruka's eyes, "It's sunblock." Realization hit her like a brick, was Raeger being nice to her? "Don't look so startled. I am generally nice; you don’t get to see it because you hang around Fritz too much."

Haruka felt herself smile, "Thank you Raeger, I appreciate it."

"You better, it's not easy to make." Raeger said offhandedly and Haruka's eyes widen.

"You made it?" She had never heard of homemade sunblock.

"Yeah, it's not your normal sunblock. This one is super strong, it'll help you adapt." Haruka examined the bottle, it was certainly not store bought. She had never seen the brand ‘Raeger rocks’ and never heard slogans with ‘For idiot farmers’ in them. Raeger was amazing, maybe there were other perks to being a chef besides food. "I gave some to Fritz when he first arrived, you should've seen him, he was worse than you." Raeger chuckled at the memory.

A thought entered Haruka's mind, "Is this why you sent Fritz away? To give me sunblock?" she asked, not really sure what all of this meant.

"Ah, well. He is a sensitive fellow, don't want him getting the wrong idea." Raeger almost murmured the last part, leaving Haruka with more questions than answers.

"I don't ge-" a loud crash was heard from the restaurant's storage room, both of them turned in that direction. "Ah, that would be your 'as many as you can carry'."

"Yep, I guess I'll go give him a hand. Watch the soup for me, yeah?" Raeger was patting his hands clean on his apron.

"No problem, make sure he's okay," Haruka's brow knit in worry, "can't farm with anything broken." Raeger smiled, but this smile was nothing Haruka had seen before. She had seen happy, flirty, sweet, heck even manipulative, but this one just seemed...strained.

"Sure, I'll tell him that." And with that Raeger went to his storage room.

The storage room wasn't all that big, he didn't own a five-star restaurant after all, but it still held everything he needed. Raeger opened the door and found Fritz on the floor. Well, he guessed Fritz was somewhere under the multiple bags of flour, hopefully uninjured. He heard a groan from under the bags and he rolled his eyes.

"Is anything broken?" Raeger asked.

"Nothing besides my pride," moaned Fritz, his voice muffled by the flour. He shuffled around and his face came into view, he looked around and sighed in relief. "You didn't bring her." Raeger smiled, he knew Fritz would not have wished Haruka to see him this way.

"Of course I didn't bring her. What kind of woman would want a man strewn across the floor covered in flour?” Raeger helped Fritz to his feet and patted him clean. "You shouldn't have carried more than you could..." He looked around and counted at least ten bags. Wow, impressive, Raeger's own limit was six.

"Oh, no. The flour wasn't the problem...I just tripped." Oh, typical Fritz. He was strong, his only fault was his balance...or coordination...or everything, really.

"You know you don't have to impress her, just be yourself. Or even better, impress her being yourself!" he suggested giving Fritz a pat on the back. Fritz gave a small sad smile.

"Do you really think that will be enough? I mean, she just came here and she already has one of the most successful farms around." Fritz stared at the floor. It was weird seeing him like this. Raeger was used to seeing the upbeat Fritz that was always running around and trying to help everyone, emphasis on the 'trying'. He was not used to seeing Fritz feeling down, even worse, feeling like he wasn't good enough.

"Woah, slow down there, buddy. We don't want you moving to depression town." Fritz looked up, "You are good enough for her, okay?" Raeger felt himself turn into the coach that gives pep talks in movies. The storage room was his locker room and Fritz was his team. "You are a strong and independent man." Fritz's eyes were wide, "You have a great personality and run a farm all by yourself." Fritz smiled, a happy smile. "You are an educated fellow!" Raeger's voice was raising, Fritz's eyes were hopeful, "AND!" Crap, he had run out of things to say, he scanned his head for Fritz facts when... "you have a cow named Cocoa!" ...Well, that was a lame ending to an otherwise great speech, hopefully it wouldn't bother Fritz that he-

"I DO!" What? "And I love her! She gives the best milk ever!" Fritz punched the air and jumped up. Raeger watched him with a smile on his face. Oh well, this was Fritz he was talking to, he was quite unpredictable.

"Okay now, calm down champ. Let's clean up and go back." Fritz nodded and helped him clean, smiling the whole time. Raeger was happy for his friend, it had been a while since he had seen Fritz so excited about something.

The very day Fritz had met Haruka he had run to Raeger to tell him about how pretty she was, and how he bet, for some odd reason, that she liked fish. The moment Raeger had met Haruka he could tell why Fritz had become smitten by her. She was extremely cute. Her shyness and mannerisms making her even more so.

It was only after Raeger had gained her trust that she had let herself go. Her cuteness evaporated when Raeger realized that she could be as vicious as him. Sarcastic to the bone and a born cynic, Raeger could see themselves becoming good friends. That was it, a friendship. He would never intervene in Fritz's love life; it was in the bro code. Haruka was a good girl, and Raeger could totally see Fritz having a chance with her. Plus, they were the only two bachelors in town minus the kid, so she kind of didn't have a choice.

The boys finished cleaning the mess and went out to the restaurant. Raeger was busy picturing Fritz and Haruka together, yeah they would make a cute couple. He could get a girlfriend and they would be able to go on double dates! Yeah, it was a nice image.

"Hey Haruka, wou-" Fritz stopped dead in his tracks. Raeger turned to look at what troubled his friend and his nice image shattered in an instant. Klaus and Haruka were sitting next to each other, perhaps a little closer than they should.

"Hey guys, I was just telling Klaus about how you helped me bake his cake!" Haruka said with a bright smile. Her cheeks were red, and Raeger was sure it wasn’t because of the sun.

"I appreciate your efforts Raeger, it was a lovely cake." Klaus thanked him. Raeger should say something, something insulting and nasty, but...

"Well, you don't have to, Klaus. It was all her." He said, smiling a little. He couldn't do that to Haruka, could he? She was as much a friend as Fritz.

Klaus turned his attention to Haruka, "Ah, it seems you still hold all my gratitude...Haruka." Raeger noticed the hesitation when he called her name. He had taken away the 'miss', just what in the world had happened? "Would you care to accompany me for a cup of tea?" Wow, when had Klaus become so bold? If he had known a little cake would cause this, he would never had agreed to help.

"No," Haruka answered, the three men in the room reacted differently to her words. Klaus looked taken aback, Raeger bit his lip in anticipation and Fritz dared look hopeful. "I'll have iced tea. I can't bear have something hot right now." Haruka smiled at Klaus and he composed himself in a second.

"Of course, as you wish." Haruka hopped off her seat and they went to the door together. Klaus opened the door for her and she turned to look at Raeger and Fritz.

"Bye guys! I'll see you later!" and with that they were gone.

Well...Raeger had totally forgotten about Klaus. How could he have forgotten about Klaus? Of course Klaus was the type of prince every girl wanted, still, he had never made a move on any of the girls in town. Why Haruka? Why now? Ugh, his life had just gotten ten times harder.

"How..." Raeger jumped a little. He had forgotten Fritz was in the room with him.

"What was that, Fritz?" he asked, afraid that Fritz had gone to depression town.

"How am I supposed to compete with that?" he whispered. Well, he wasn't in depression town yet, but he sure as hell had bought a train ticket, and Raeger was not having that.

"Don't worry, buddy." He said, "We'll just have to up your game a little..." he tried to sound convincing, both for Fritz's and his own sake.


	8. A Meal

"That's the last spot, dear." Eda announced, wiping her hands clean on her apron.

"Thanks, Granny." Haruka put her shirt back on, being careful not to mess up the cream Eda had spread on her back. "You really helped me out. Don't know what I would've done without you."

"It's nothing, dear. You know you can always count on me." Eda gave Haruka a smile that made her insides warm. How could anyone look at Eda and not hug her on the spot? "Are you ready to go?" Eda asked.

"Yup, just let me put these away." Haruka grabbed the multiple bottles strewn around her. After the time she had avoided going to town because of the sun, people had begun giving her skin treatments. They ranged from sunblock lotions to sunburn remedies, she even got a nice hat from Corona. She had been caught off guard. Haruka didn't realize she meant so much to these people, or perhaps they were just extremely nice, either way, she was glad. The kind gifts from the townspeople had given her the courage to walk beneath the sun every day. "Will you come with me Granny?"

"Oh no, dear. Veronica said she would be dropping by later, so go ahead and go to town, I'll be fine." Haruka noticed that Eda had stopped her frequent trips to town, but once again, so had she, so she couldn't blame Granny.

"Okay, I'll be leaving then." Haruka waved Eda goodbye and began her walk to town.

The grass Haruka had planted days ago had finally grown and the fence she had wanted to build was finally complete, so she had let Hanako out to enjoy because it was truly a beautiful day. Haruka didn't know if it was the weather or if she had finally grown used to the heat, but the day didn't seem to be as hot as the others.

Haruka took her time walking to town, admiring the view as she passed and enjoying the slight summer breeze. Haruka thought she knew everything about the long trek to her farm, but things looked brand new under the influence of summer. She could understand the new bugs that were around, but even the colors from her surroundings appeared new. Grass seemed greener, making the colors of flowers more intense.

"Hello Haruka!" Melanie called. Haruka turned to looked at the little girl and smiled. She had never been good with kids, but Melanie was polite and darn cute.

"Hey Melanie, where are you going?" Haruka asked, knowing well what the answer would be.

"To the forest!" Melanie exclaimed. Of course she was, Haruka had discovered that people around town didn't deviate from their routines. They did the same thing every day and every week. The only time their routine changed was when festivals were being held. She thought it was a bit boring but to each their own. "Oh Haruka, aren't you excited?" Melanie's voice pulled Haruka from her thoughts.

"About what?" she asked, confused.

"The Fireworks Festival, silly! It's only in a couple days!" Melanie clapped her hands excitedly.

"You guys have a Fireworks Festival?" Haruka remembered celebrating a Fireworks Festival back at the island, but theirs was much later in the season.

"Yup, and it's one of the only days I get to stay up past my bedtime!" Melanie’s excitement apparent in her eyes.

"Ugh, I don't have anyone to go with though..." Romantic festivals had never been her thing. Sure, she could go around giving out chocolate and flowers, but this was a one on one festival.

"What do you mean?" Melanie asked.

"You know, a date, for the festival." Haruka explained, surprised that boyfriend-obsessed Melanie had not thought about getting a date for the festival, even if her only viable choice was Lutz.

"You don't need a date for the festival! It's supposed to be for the whole town to enjoy!" Melanie sounded almost mad, as if Haruka had offended her somehow. "I mean…I guess you COULD make it a date but..." Melanie grumbled. Oh, so it wasn't a romantic festival, how strange. When Haruka thought of fireworks she thought of couples together, holding hands and gazing at the pretty colors on the sky.

"Oh, that's great! You just saved me a world of embarrassment!" Melanie looked curiously at her.

"And why is that?" Melanie said in a sweet tone. Oh no, she had awakened the beast!

"No, no- I just meant-" Haruka stammered.

"Were you going to ask somebody?" the slight blush the crossed Haruka's cheeks gave Melanie her answer. "WHO?!" Melanie screamed, "Oh my God, you gotta tell me!"

"N-no one! It was just a thought!" Haruka stammered. She had not just been thinking about asking Klaus to the festival, of course not. Melanie looked at Haruka and it was clear she did not believe her in the slightest.

"Yeah, sure, aha" was Melanie's response. "You keep telling yourself that. Anyways, I have to go, promised Lutz I would play with him!" Melanie bid her goodbyes and left a flustered Haruka behind.

The embarrassment Melanie had made Haruka feel evaporated with the summer heat and soon Haruka was strolling around like it hadn't happened.

Haruka was thinking how nice a dive in the river would feel when she spotted Fritz. He was slightly out of breath and holding plates laden with food on his hands.

"Fritz!" Haruka called. Fritz jumped a little, nearly dropping the food. He turned to look at Haruka and smiled.

"Hey Haruka! What are you doing?" he asked, trying his hardest to balance the plates.

"That's my question. Need any help?" Haruka knew Fritz wasn't so proud as to not accept her help, but she also knew Fritz had his special moments, so she still prayed he would not be difficult. After all, the food looked amazing, and it would be a total waste if it ended on the floor.

"Yes! Please!" Fritz's smile grew even wider, "Here," he passed Haruka some plates. If the food looked amazing, it smelled even better.

"Where to Captain?" Haruka asked before she got drool all over the food.

"Onward, matey!" Fritz answered. Haruka laughed, if there was someone she could be silly with, it was Fritz.

They arrived at his farm. Haruka had been here a couple times before, but she had never really appreciated the landscape. Fritz's farm was nothing like hers. His crops were arranged in little patches of land all over the place and his cattle was free to roam around the farm. All in all, the farm looked very...Fritz, perhaps not the most efficient, but the very definition of freedom. Haruka thought back to her own farm and imagined what it said about her. All her crops were in straight lines divided by category and her cattle was surrounded by fences to prevent them from roaming around. It was less time consuming but a little too restrictive, maybe she should be more like Fritz.

_Or maybe not…_ , Haruka thought as Fritz tripped over a watering can that was just lying on the floor.

"Whoops… Don't know how that got there…" He recovered quickly, maybe all that falling around that he did had trained him for situations like this. "Anyways, welcome to my little kingdom!" He opened the door to his house and let Haruka in. It wasn't the biggest house out there, but at least it was clean. Haruka had always pictured Fritz as a slob, so this was a pleasant surprise.

"Where should I put these?"

"Over here." Haruka followed Fritz to his little dining room/ bedroom. She could not say a thing, she had a single room house, he at least had two rooms. "Hey! I got the greatest idea!" Fritz exclaimed, throwing his arms in the air with the amount of energy only Fritz could manage. Haruka grimaced, Fritz's 'greatest ideas' always landed her a trip to the clinic and a scolding from Angela. "Why don't you have lunch with me?" he asked. Oh, that was not what Haruka was expecting. The food looked and smelled amazing, so why not?

Before she could answer, her stomach grumbled. Haruka blushed, "I guess that was your answer." Fritz smiled and told Haruka to sit down and dig in. The food tasted delicious, even better than some of Raeger's dishes, though she would never say that to the chef's face. "Where did you get the ingredients?" Haruka asked. She could never seem to find decent ingredients to cook with. She knew Raeger got his stuff because he had shady deals with providers, but he ran a restaurant, so there was no way she was going to land one of those deals.

"Oh, I helped an old man out and he gave me these as a reward." Of course he did, Fritz was always trying to help people out, even if they didn't need it. Most of the time however, things didn't work out so well, so Haruka was glad Fritz was finally getting the recognition he deserved. "I saw delicious ingredients and I just HAD to cook them, you know?"

"I can imagine, that's so you." Haruka could imagine, but she could not relate. If the ingredients were rare and of good quality, then she would not have wasted them in a meal, she would have made seeds of the vegetables and shipped the rest. Still, she was glad Fritz had decided to cook- wait, did he just say cook? "You cooked all of this yourself?"

"Yep, as you can see I don't own a kitchen…" he slightly scratched his face, a gesture Haruka had learned to mean he was embarrassed. "So I bugged Raeger to let me use his!"

"I didn't picture Raeger as someone who would lend his kitchen that easily." Raeger often told Haruka to not come into his kitchen, and he came off as the guy who would kill anyone who disobeyed.

"I didn't say it was EASY… I just said he finally caved in after the second hour of consecutive begging." Ah, that made more sense, somehow.

"Well, I'm glad he did. The food's great, keep this up and you'll dethrone Raeger." Fritz laughed, he did that a lot with Haruka around.

"Don't let him catch you saying that! Plus, I don't think I could ever do that, cooking is just a hobby of mine." Haruka wished she could have hobbies that fed her this well.

"Nevertheless it's a good skill to have, you'll make a great husband someday!" Haruka's comment, while innocent, made Fritz's face bright red.

"Well, I-" Fritz stammered, "I- I think it is important for a husband to help around the house, you know?" Of course it was important, her father helped her mother in everything he could, though cooking was not his specialty.

Haruka found herself thinking about her parents. They were so different yet they had such a happy marriage. She sighed, "Yeah, it would be great if I could marry someone as capable as you."

"Wait, you mean you want me to be your hubby?!" Fritz could not hide his surprise. "I mean, yeah but, shouldn't we date first and stuff?" Of course they should do this in the right order. First date and then get married and have-

Fritz thoughts were interrupted by Haruka's laugh. "I'm just teasing you!" Oh, she was just teasing. It took everything Fritz had to hide his disappointment.

"Ugh, you were just teasing me! You shouldn't do that to my poor heart!" Haruka laughed at Fritz’s remark and he gave her a small smile.

"Anyways, thanks for the food. Do you need me to help you clean up?" Haruka asked, already piling her plates up.

"Of course not," Fritz took the plates away from her, "I invited you after all."

"You sure? There are a lot of plates."

"Positive, partner. Get going, and… " Fritz hesitated a second before finishing his sentence, "tell Ashe I said hi." Haruka frowned, Ashe was not in town today. Perhaps Fritz didn't check his calendar as often as she did. Haruka bid Fritz farewell, leaving him alone at home, wondering about marriage, and how she technically hadn't been opposed to the idea of dating him.


	9. A Chase

Klaus had so much work to do. He needed to finish a new fragrance for one of his most important clients by tomorrow. The deadline was not the problem, he didn’t like to admit it, but he had completed assignments in less time. No, the problem was that inspiration was not with him today. In fact, inspiration had been evading him all week. His client had asked for a scent that reflected ‘youth’. Now, how on earth was he going to reflect ‘youth’?

Klaus stared at the various bottles of concentrated scents strewn around his desk in hopes that they would come to life and mix themselves. Silly fantasies aside, he was really at loss. He didn’t know what ‘youth’ smelled like. Earlier that week he had gone to the young people around, but the results had left much to be desired. Mistel was out of the question, he smelled even more grown up that Klaus did. Angela gave off a strong smell of antiseptic, which was to be expected from the Clinic’s nurse. Raeger smelled like food, not like a specific and delicious dish, but like a combination of all the food he had prepared through the day. Elise’s scent was an expensive one brought straight from Rose Country and Fritz smelled like the bad side of nature. He figured Lillie would give him the answers he needed, but he had not been able to get a hold of her. The only person that was left was Haruka, and he was not about to ask her if he could take a sniff, it was creepy enough that he hung around her all the time.

Klaus sighed and threw his head back to look at the ceiling. It was two past noon and Haruka had not come to visit him yet. Not that he was desperate for a distraction from his pathetic situation, but because perhaps Haruka could give him some pointers in how to smell ‘youthy’.

Klaus got off his chair and stretched. He had two options, go for a walk and pray to the Harvest Goddess that inspiration struck him, or go to the Trade Depot and pray to the Harvest Goddess to run into Haruka. Huh, he never knew he was such a religious man. Klaus opted for the one that was the most likely, running into Haruka. He took his tail coat, put it on, and had a quick glance in the mirror. He looked as presentable as always. Klaus opened the door and walked to the Trade Depot with a barely noticeable spring in his step.

 

* * *

 

Ah, she was late. Haruka quicken her step as she passed the General Store. She was a whole two hours late. Even though none of them had said anything, it had become their habit to have tea with each other, sometimes they even went out to grab lunch. This little encounters happened around noon, except for the days that Klaus went out to the city or the days Haruka had to harvest her crops. Today was neither of those days, so why was she late?

Well, it was all Fritz’s fault. Sure, Haruka had agreed without missing a beat, but she needed a scapegoat and Fritz fit the role. Fritz had caught Haruka earlier when she was heading to town. Her backpack was bulging with the cloth she was intending to sell at the Trade Depot and that had caught Fritz’s attention. They talked for a bit until Fritz asked her if she had any plans for lunch. She told him that she usually ate lunch at Klaus’s or at the Restaurant…with Klaus, Fritz had not responded.

Haruka had been about to tell him she needed to get going when he had suddenly shouted ‘Extreme Tag!’, tagged her and bolted away. Haruka, being the adult she was, had sprinted after him without giving it a second thought, she was not about to lose ‘Extreme Tag’, it didn’t matter that she didn’t know what it was. Their game had finally ended in a draw when they both collapsed. Extreme Tag had turned out to be exhausting, but Haruka still had stuff to do, so she left Fritz whining to himself and continued her path to town.

Haruka reached Klaus’s house and opened the door, she had long stopped knocking at Klaus’s request. She chirped out a quick ‘Hello’ before realizing that the house was empty. She had missed him. She would never admit it, but she felt both irked and disappointed. Her disappointment came from not being able to see Klaus, that was normal, they were friends. But what was not normal was the tiny bit of anger she felt at Klaus not waiting for her. He was not obliged to wait for her, he had his own life, still, it hurt.

Haruka sighed, she could wait for him, or she could come back later. She decided to come back later, she needed to go to the Trade Depot and sell her fabric so she could buy a chicken. She closed the door behind her, she figured Klaus went out without the key to his own house, so she made sure not to lock it.

 

* * *

 

Plan ‘Running into Haruka at the Depot’ had been a total failure. There were two traders and she still was nowhere to be found. He had figured he might as well make the trip worth it and had sniffed around the booths for a while. There were some interesting scents, but the smells were too foreign to mix into his fragrances.

Klaus left the Trade Depot, he was certainly not disappointed, and of course he wasn’t dragging his feet, that would be childish. Klaus squared himself, he didn’t want to go back to the confinement of his house, he would take a long walk instead.

 

* * *

 

Haruka walked into the Depot, two vendors were here today, it was the best day to do business. She walked towards Ashe, no matter how many traders they got, Ashe would always be Haruka’s first pick. 

“Glad to see I’m still your favorite.” Ashe winked at Haruka, making space in her counter for Haruka to put her heavy backpack.

Haruka unloaded the contents in the counter, “What can I do? I have a thing for exotic stuff.” Ashe laughed, nice and easy.

“Let me see what you brought me…” Haruka offered the golden cloth and Ashe took it. She ran her fingers through the cloth, “This is nice…” she mumbled.

Haruka nodded, “Yup, just made too.” She clapped her hands together, glad that Ashe seemed to be so taken with her product. “So, how much?” Ashe stayed quiet for a while. Finally, she sighed and looked at Haruka.

“I shouldn’t be telling you this… But Marielle will pay you more for these.” Ashe stated

“What?” 

“I’m just saying that there is a possibility that Cabin Country is going through a shortage of fabric.” That right there was the reason Haruka liked Ashe so much, she was honest. “You should sell these to Marielle.”

“Are you sure? I honestly don’t mind.” Haruka admitted, and she honestly didn’t mind, economics had never been her forte, and the base price was her preferred price.

“Positive.” Ashe didn’t even hesitate on answering. Haruka was stunned for a second, she had never expected Ashe to care about her to this extent. After a while Ashe’s eyes softened, “Of course you’ll use the extra money to buy my entire stock.” Ah, there was the Ashe Haruka knew.

“Sure, I was actually planning on buying a chicken anyways.” Haruka had recently gathered enough materials to build a coop. Gunther showed up when she was prepping. She had hoped he would build it for her, just like he did her barn, but she ended up doing most of the work, if not all of it. Haruka couldn’t decide if Gunther was a great teacher or just lazy. Maybe a combination of both.

Haruka walked the short distance to Cabin Country’s booth and Marielle received her with a warm smile. “Welcome to Cabin Country’s-” her greeting was cut short by a loud crash coming from Silk Country’s booth. Haruka turned to see what all the commotion was and saw Ashe sprawled on the floor and a chicken bolt into the distance. Haruka rushed over to help Ashe to her feet.

“What happened?” Haruka asked.

“That wretched chicken!” Ashe exclaimed, “I swear one of these days I’m gonna turn him into soup!” Haruka’s eyes widen along with the smile on her lips. As much as Ashe’s threat was scary, it was also amusing, she had never seen Ashe lose her cool.

“Okay, okay, let’s try and calm down, shall we?” It took a few seconds and deep breaths to stop Ashe’s anger. “There you go,” Haruka patted Ashe on the back, “Now, tell me what happened.” Ashe pinched the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes, trying her hardest to remain calm.

“You said you wanted a chicken, right?” Haruka wasn’t sure if Ashe was expecting an answer, but she nodded anyways. “So I went to the back to get one for you,” Ashe’s breath started picking up again and Haruka resumed her patting on the back to keep Ashe in her happy place. “I opened the cage and I guess the little devil saw its opportunity and charged at me!” Ashe threw her arms into the air and turned to look at Haruka with distress on her face. It was too much for Haruka, she burst out laughing. “What are you laughing at?” Ashe’s distressed expression did not leave her face and it just fueled Haruka’s laughter.

“I’m sorry, it’s just…I think you are being a little bit dramatic.” Haruka wiped small tears that were forming on the corners of her eyes

“This isn’t funny Haruka! It charged at me!” Ashe’s voice was raising by the minute.

“Aw, come on! It’s just a little innocent chicken!” Haruka explained, there was no way the chicken would have done anything Ashe had described.

“No, you don’t understand Haruka.” Haruka crossed her arms, skeptical. “That creature is evil incarnated!” Ashe’s brows were furrowed and she sound harassed.

“I’m sure he just needed to stretch his legs!” Haruka replied and it was Ashe’s turn to look skeptical, “Look, I’ll bring him back and prove you wrong.” Ashe’s frowned deepened and Haruka walked in the direction she had seen the chicken go, towards town.

“Just don’t come crying after the little beast is done with you!” Ashe called at Haruka’s retreating back.

Haruka laughed silently. How hard could it be? It was just a little chicken who craved freedom. She could understand, she could relate. Life in a cage just wasn’t for everyone. As soon as the chicken realized her feelings and intentions, he would come willingly with her, at least that was what her father had told her about animals.

Haruka looked around the square and spotted the chicken near Raeger’s Restaurant. She quickened her pace, if Raeger got out and saw the chicken he would surely turn him into something delicious. When she was near enough she spoke to the chicken, “Hey little guy, what are you doing?” The chicken turned to look at her and he seemed…unimpressed? What? Haruka shook the feeling away, there was no way the chicken had given her that impression, Ashe must have gotten to her head. “Come here little guy.” Haruka cooed, trying to grab the chicken, who immediately jumped back. 

Haruka stood there, arms in front of her, stunned. Oh, so the chicken was going to be that way. “Oi, chicken. I’ve seen this act before, and let me tell you, playing hard to get is not ‘adorable’.” The chicken was staring right at her. Haruka took a step forward and the chicken took a step back. Every time she would move the chicken would move in unison, it was like a weird, weird dance. After a while Haruka stopped moving and just stared at the chicken and he stared back. They stared at each other, neither of them moving. For how long? Seconds? Minutes? Who knew? All that mattered to Haruka at the moment was that a chicken would not break her.

“What in the…” Raeger murmured, he had been taking a customer’s order when he noticed Haruka was outside. She had been standing there for over 10 minutes now, just staring at a chicken. “God, that’s enough.” He set down the plates he’d been carrying and swung the door open. “You’re scaring the customers inside, can you take your chicken stand-off someplace else?” Raeger demanded. Haruka turned to look at Raeger.

“I can- “ the chicken seized its opportunity, as soon as the words came out of Haruka’s mouth it sprinted past her. “No!” Haruka yelled and gave chase, not sparing another glance at Raeger.

Raeger stayed put, processing everything that had just happened. “Mister?” a voice from inside called.

“Ah, yes, just a moment please.” Raeger answered, this bizarre incident would have to wait until later.

 

* * *

 

The walk had cleared Klaus’s mind and nature had given him some nice scents he could use. Klaus walked at a slow pace, enjoying the last moments of his walk. He knew he had to return, sit down and work, so he would make the best of his journey home. The mountains had been a better source of scents than the Depot had been. Summer made the forest smell different, fresher and green. He briefly closed his eyes, imagining the perfect combination of ingredients and what the resulting perfume would smell like. It didn’t exactly smell like ‘youth’, but it smelled like nature, and nature was timeless, right? Ah, yes, he could almost smell it and-

“Klaus!” his eyes snapped open, he knew that voice. He turned around, a little quicker than he would like to admit.

“Haru- “

“Stop that chicken!” she yelled. Chicken? What did she mean?

“I don- “he was interrupted once again, this time by a blur of feathers passing in between his feet. Everything clicked in his head and he tried to grab the chicken. However, the chicken was too fast for Klaus who lost his balance and landed on his knees.

“Watch out!” was all Klaus heard before Haruka collided with him. Klaus ended on the floor with Haruka on top of him.

“Are you okay?” Klaus gasped, he was slightly out of breath from the collision. Haruka looked at him and blushed.

“I am so sorry, I just- I couldn’t stop, I tried but- “Haruka stammered, she had literally tackled Klaus to the ground, how rude of her.

“It is quite alright. It was me who tripped in the first place.” Haruka got up and extended her hand to help Klaus up, he took it gratefully. “You have my thanks.”

“Not at all, here.” She patted his back clean, “It’s unusual seeing you dirty.” She giggled.

“Ah well, I do try my best to be presentable at all times.” Klaus’s smile turned into a slight frown, “My apologies, but were you not in a heated persecution just now?” Haruka’s eyes widen as she remembered.

“Yes! Yes, I was!” She turned her head from side to side, searching for the chicken. “Did you see where he went?” she asked Klaus.

“I’ll assume you mean the chicken.” Haruka nodded, “I believe I saw it heading towards the river.”

“That little…” Haruka mumbled, “Thanks Klaus! And I’m sorry about, you know, falling on you.” She said.

“Not at all.” Haruka bid him goodbye, but before she could leave Klaus grabbed her arm, “Wait, did you quarrel with your chicken? Do you need help getting it back?” he asked. Klaus was concerned, in the whole season he had known her he had seen her fall at least twice a day, making her one of the most accident prone people he knew, directly below Fritz.

“Ah, no. He escaped from Ashe, I’m getting him back for her.” Haruka explained, “But you’re welcome to tag along if you want.” Klaus thought about it. He had a lot of work to do, he knew he should decline the invitation and go home, but the image of Haruka falling into the river and drowning weighed on his mind. He just had to ask himself which was more important, her life or his job, and the answer was obvious. Never did it occur to him that maybe, just maybe, he had exaggerated a bit.

“Please allow me to accompany you.”

“Sure, but be warned, the chicken is a little ball of evil!” and with that final warning they set to find the chicken.

 

* * *

 

Klaus and Haruka searched by the river, checking every corner where a chicken could hide. Haruka knew that the chicken was too proud to hide, but Klaus had proposed the idea and she figured it was worth the shot.

“Maybe he went to Fritz’s or Giorgio’s farms?” Haruka suggested.

“It is more likely it followed the river.” Klaus offered but Haruka wasn’t convinced so they searched the farms. When their search was not successful Haruka gave in and searched along the river.

“He could be anywhere by now!” grumbled Haruka, the chicken had hurt delicate pride and he was not going to get away with that.

“Well, we did loose quite a lot of time searching the farms.” His words were meant as an offhanded comment, something to pay no mind to, but Haruka still heard them as reproachful.

“Well I’m sorry I’m stupid.” She mumbled, her voice so low her words got lost in the wind.

Klaus turned to look at her, “Shall we search along the river now?” Haruka gave a quick nod, not trusting her voice to mask the barrage of emotions she was feeling. She was angry but embarrassed. Angry at her embarrassment and embarrassed at her anger, she just couldn’t catch a break today!

Haruka had wanted to look cool in front of Klaus, to have him watch her catch a chicken with her superior animal skills but nothing was going according to plan. She had not only tackled Klaus to the ground and let the chicken flee, but she had also misjudged the chicken’s actions and lost precious time. To top it all, Klaus was being a bit annoying. He was suggesting things Haruka should have thought and saying them in an all knowing way. Perhaps it was Haruka’s own distorted perception that made him seem annoying instead of useful.

“You seem awfully quiet, something on your mind?” Klaus’s voice pulled Haruka from her thoughts. She looked up and watched his face closely. She saw no anger, no reproach. Haruka was being silly, wasn’t she? Klaus was not being annoying, she was just being horrible.

Haruka took a steading breath, “I just want to catch the chicken. He has caused enough problems for today.”

“I am positive we will catch it, do not worry.” Klaus said, smiling at her and Haruka returned the smile. Klaus was being helpful; he didn’t deserve to be treated with resent.

 

* * *

 

They walked and walked, searching every inch of land around them. The sun was blaring down at them and Klaus wanted to glare at it. The heat was not enough to make him sweat but they had been moving a lot and his coat was becoming unbearable to wear. He could take it off and not look presentable or he could keep it on and sweat like a pig. Neither option seemed like a good idea.

Klaus discreetly wiped off the thin layer of swear that had formed on his forehead and looked at Haruka. It was amazing she hadn’t even broken a sweat when she was the one doing the most moving. It sure must be nice to be young.

Klaus thought at his past self, always moving, never taking a rest. His past-self had been wild, and he would’ve continued if not for an incident that had opened his eyes to the destructive lifestyle he had been living. He had traded insolence for politeness, adrenaline for scents and alcohol for tea. He had traded the things he liked for the ones he needed, he called it ‘growing up’. Nowadays he only did things he needed, and the only thing he needed now was a break.

“Haruka,” he said. Haruka turned to look at him, big blue eyes shining at him. Did she realize how unnerving her eyes were? Klaus lost his train of thought, only realizing full seconds had passed when Haruka tilted her head in confusion. “Haruka,” he cleared his throat to try and hide the blush forming on his cheeks, “I think a break is in order.” He tried not to sound as pathetic as he was feeling.

“I guess we could take a short break…” she trailed off, her eyes wandering to the opposite direction from him, still looking for the renegade chicken. Klaus took the hint, as much as he wanted a break, Haruka wanted to find the chicken twice as much.

“I meant it only as a suggestion, if you do not-” he was suddenly interrupted by a loud scream of **‘CHICKEN’** coming from Haruka. Klaus looked in the direction Haruka was looking at and indeed the chicken was there, far enough for the chicken not to have heard Haruka. It was plucking at the grass like it had no worries in the world, like two grown adults had not spent the last hour trying to find it.

Klaus observed the chicken’s surroundings. If they were quiet enough, they could try and set up a trap for the chicken. He had no materials on him, so they would have to make do with whatever Haruka had on her.

“Haruka, do you perhaps have some materials at hand?” Klaus asked, thinking about where would be the best place to place the trap. Haruka did not respond. It took a short moment of silence for Klaus to look at her. Haruka was watching the chicken intently. Klaus cleared his throat, trying to win her attention back.

“Haru-“

“Run.” Haruka whispered. What had she just said? Haruka bolted through the fields. Oh, that. It took Klaus a couple of seconds to even register what was going on. When he wrapped his head around the situation he ran after her. He wanted to yell at Haruka to stop, but his breath was leaving him in hurried gasps, making yelling impossible.

The chicken noticed the charging Haruka and, as to add insult to the injury, waited until the last minute to flee. Perhaps Haruka saying it was ‘evil’ had not been an exaggeration. The chicken shot straight into some bushes, effectively disappearing from sight. Haruka slowed her pace down, trying to find the chicken.

Klaus caught up a few seconds later. For someone with small legs Haruka was really fast, or perhaps he was just getting rusty. He should join a ball game or something.

“Come on, let’s look for him!” Haruka exclaimed, the recent adrenaline rush still in her system. Klaus looked at her, she was ecstatic, her eyes were darting around the place, trying to catch the smallest sign of movement that would reveal the location of the chicken. The only sign that gave up the fact that she had been running was the accelerated rate at which she was breathing. Meanwhile Klaus was sweating and panting, it took all he had to not put his hands on his knees and suck as much air as he could into his lungs. 

Klaus took a steadying breath, “I think we should plan our strategy,” inhale, “with a little more care,” exhale. He was a gentleman and he had to look the part, he could not let Haruka see how tired he really was.

“Our strategy is to run after him,” Haruka stated, “we just need to endure a little more, he is getting tired.” Klaus wasn’t even going to ask how she knew that, he guessed it was a farmer’s thing. The good thing was that the chicken was getting tired, the bad thing was that so was he. He didn’t want to think who would give up first. “Come on.”

As soon as she took a step forward her leg gave up under her weight and she stumbled to the ground.

“Haruka!” Klaus rushed to her side. Haruka tried getting up with no success, her legs refused to cooperate. She tried again and again until Klaus had to physically restrain her, “Stop that, you will hurt yourself.” Klaus huffed, his exasperation sipping into his voice.

“Don’t worry, I can get up!”

“Stop!” Klaus commanded, his voice like nothing Haruka had ever heard before. Haruka stopped trying to get up and looked at the ground, she would not let Klaus see her pout. He used her silence as an opportunity to examine her legs, he would first examine her ankles and then move his way up. He took one of her legs and prompted it up on his knee. He grabbed and probed at her ankle, not noticing anything unusual. He then moved to her calf, twisting her leg to get a better view. The muscles in her calf twitched every now and then. Klaus traced his fingers along them, feeling the little jumps disrupt the smoothness of her skin. The only part of her leg that remained unexplored was her thigh, Klaus took her leg and moved it to rest on his shoulder. The muscles on her thigh were twitching just like the ones on her calf, it was extremely amusing. He felt the muscles with his hand. Her muscles were firm and her skin was soft, it was an enjoyable sensation.

“Klaus,” his hands stopped immediately, he turned to look at her, “you’ll have to buy me dinner if you go any further.” Her words were meant as a lighthearted joke, but they came out as an embarrassed mess. Still those words helped Klaus realized their compromising position. If anyone were to pass through they would not see doctor Klaus trying to help Haruka, they would probably think he was sexually harassing her, and technically they would not be wrong.

Klaus put her leg down, trying to conceal his growing blush, “I apologize, I just wanted to…” he wanted to explain himself, he wanted to tell her he was just helping, but his words seemed sillier and sillier with every passing second.

“It’s alright,” she smiled at him, “What’s the diagnosis, doctor?” She was making it easy for him.

Klaus regained his composure, “Well, I conclude that you have overexerted yourself.”

Haruka looked unconvinced, “Impossible.” How could she possibly overexert herself? Sure, she had been running around chasing the chicken, but she chased insects every day! They had trained her for this very moment.

“It would be better for you to tell me what you have been doing all day.”

What she had done all day? Haruka wondered, “Well, I finished my chores and helped Granny finish hers.”

“Maybe-” Klaus started but was interrupted by Haruka.

“No, that’s normal, I help Granny every day.” Klaus closed his mouth. “I swam in the river, dove a couple times too…”

Aha! Swimming put a lot of strain in the body, “May-”

“No, that’s normal too.” Haruka interrupted.

“There must have been something else!” Klaus was getting exasperated, just how much physical activity did Haruka do every day? Klaus’s image of Haruka was that of a lady who made a mean cup of tea, but in reality, his lady ran a ranch all by herself.

“No, I don’t think I did anything differently. I mean I-” Haruka stopped mid-sentence, eyes going wide.

“What? What is wrong?” Klaus asked, concerned.

Haruka’s face was easy to read, she said a lot with her facial expressions, and right now she had ‘guilty’ written all over her face. “I may, or may have not played tag with Fritz…”

“A simple game of tag could not have exhausted you this much.” Tag? Really? Klaus couldn’t question Fritz playing it, but Haruka too?  He had never seen her act childish, perhaps impulsive, but never immature enough to justify a game of tag.

Haruka scratched the back of her head, “Ah, well…It…it was a game of ‘Extreme Tag’…” her voice getting lower and lower while her cheeks redden.

Klaus narrowed his eyes, “Extreme... tag?” he could not keep the skepticism from his voice, he had never heard of such a thing before. “I do not think I follow.”

“Well, ‘Extreme Tag’ is different from regular tag, you know, it being extreme and all.” Haruka was feeling more embarrassed by the minute. It was funny, the moment Fritz had shouted ‘Extreme Tag’ she hadn’t even questioned it. Now that she was trying to explain the game to Klaus it seemed silly and childish, not to mention dangerous. “It…it is like regular tag but everywhere is game.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well…The fields, the mountain, the town…” To Klaus that sounded like regular tag just with a wider range. Haruka continued, “up trees, in the river…I think we also played a little on Fritz’s rooftop.”

Klaus pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath, “I hope you realize how dangerous that was.” He took another steadying breath, “However, that would explain the strain in your legs. How long did you play for?” Haruka opened her mouth to answer but Klaus interrupted. “Actually, no. Do not tell me. I do not want to know.” His voice was harsh. He was letting his anger get the best of him and being rude to Haruka.

Haruka gasped, “Are you mad?” Klaus looked at her, he was expecting to see various emotions, fear, disappointment, perhaps even some anger of her own. What he was not expecting was seeing Haruka’s amusement. “That’s so cute.” She giggled, reaching out to touch the pouting lip he didn’t know he was doing.

Klaus frowned and brushed her hand off, “I am not mad, I am merely worried.” This time, he was very aware of the pout. Haruka laughed, throwing herself back and laying on the grass.

“You don’t have to worry. I’m perfectly fine.” Haruka said, patting the space next to her for Klaus to sit.

Klaus reluctantly sat beside her, he was still mad, but he had showed Haruka enough rudeness for a day. “Apparently I have to worry about you because you do not.” Haruka frowned. Klaus didn’t like when Haruka frowned, he disliked everyone and everything that made those brows furrow, he’d never thought he would be the one to cause it. Haruka took his hand into her own, lacing their fingers together. Klaus was confused, but he wasn’t about to complain.

“See? I’m flesh, not glass.” Haruka smirked at Klaus’s confused face. “What I mean is, you don’t have to worry about me. I’m tough!” Klaus wanted to disagree, that even if she was tough he would still worry, but he let it go when Haruka suddenly sat up. “ **Chicken** ” Klaus looked in the direction that Haruka was and indeed the chicken was there. It was resting under the shade of an enormous tree. Perhaps it was exhausted after being chased all around.

Haruka tried to stand up but was stopped by Klaus’s hand still holding her own. “Come on, we have to chase him!” Haruka exclaimed, tugging at his hand.

“No,” Klaus said in an even tone. Haruka started to argue but was silenced by Klaus. “I will not let you recklessly chase the chicken down. We have done it your way, now we are going to do it my way.” Her eyes widen but she stopped tugging.

“What do you propose then?” She asked, curious and exited that Klaus was finally letting go.

“Okay then, this is what we are going to do…”

 

* * *

 

“I’m not sure this is going to work…” Haruka told Klaus.

“Nonsense!”

They had needed a piece of cloth big enough to hold the chicken, Haruka had offered one of the golden cloths she intended on shipping but Klaus refused. He would not allow Haruka’s earnings to be jeopardized. Haruka jokingly offered her blouse just to watch a flustered Klaus. They ended up using Klaus’s tailcoat, it was big enough for the chicken and it meant none of them would be even remotely naked.

“It’ll get dirty…” Haruka murmured. She would never say it aloud, but she actually liked Klaus’s tailcoat very much. It was the one feature besides his mannerisms that made him look like prince charming, and now they were going to use it to catch a chicken, so much for a happy ending.

Klaus’s sharp ears caught her words, “It does not matter. It is the perfect plan!”

The ‘perfect’ plan consisted on Klaus’s tailcoat spread on the ground and tied to a tree branch to make a rather simple trap. Haruka’s job was to chase the chicken and lead him to the trap where Klaus would activate the trap. It was simple, and to Haruka’s eyes a lot of it relied on chance. Still, Klaus’s eyes were of those of a child opening presents after Starry Night Festival. It was the first time she had seen him so happy, so she was glad to play along.

“Okay then, get in position and wait for the signal.” Klaus instructed and Haruka nodded. She made her way to the planned position as quietly as she could. She crouched and waited for Klaus’s signal.

Klaus watched her get into position and waited for the perfect time to give the signal. They only had one shot and everything had to be perfect, so much was at stake, his pride for example. He watched the chicken closely and when its eyes closed, he gave the signal.

Haruka sprinted towards the chicken who woke up startled. The chicken saw Haruka’s approaching figure and leapt into action. She figured the chicken was smart enough to see through their plan, but having caught it off guard certainly gave them the advantage.

The chicken ran directly to the trap and Klaus pulled the rope. His tailcoat effectively shot up and… captured the runaway chicken! In a moment of pure adrenaline and excitement Klaus threw his fist into the air, letting out a load ‘YES’.

“Did we make it?!” Haruka shouted, still running towards Klaus. He blushed, had she seen his little outburst?

“Ahem. Yes, yes we did.” Klaus tied the rope around the trunk of the tree. He had just finished tying the rope when Haruka tackled him to the ground. He let out a surprised grunt.

“Yay!” Haruka hugged him tightly, not caring if air was able to reach his lungs or not. She nuzzled into his chest, “I can’t believe we actually did it!” Klaus pat her head, glad that Haruka was happy.

A thought suddenly entered Klaus’s mind. She was holding so tightly against him, he could smell her, right? He figured it was fair since he had helped her catch the chicken, but he still wanted to get her permission, smelling her without her permission felt wrong. “Haruka,” Klaus said. Haruka answered with a simple hum, not bothering to lift her head from his chest. “Can I…” Klaus trailed off, was he really going to ask that? How embarrassing could he be?

“Spit it out.” Haruka’s voice was muffled by his chest, but still retained its commanding tone.

“Can I smell you?” Klaus blushed, she was definitely going to think he was weird and creepy.

Haruka was silent for a couple seconds, “Ah…” Klaus stomach dropped. He should not have asked her that, their friendship was surely ruined. “I don’t think I smell that nice after running around like that…” she let out, her voice small with embarrassment. Wait, what?

“You did not say no, though…” Klaus was risking it. Haruka always brought his bold side out. Haruka refused to look at him.

“I mean; I don’t mind…I just don’t think you’ll enjoy it…” She used his chest to hide her face. How could she even think Klaus would not enjoy it? He loved everything about smell and he enjoyed everything about her, it was a perfect combination made in heaven. Klaus figured Haruka would not give him a straight answer, and she had already said she didn’t mind, so he decided.

“I…I will do it…” Klaus murmured, suddenly very aware of what he was going to do. He took a deep breath, inhaling Haruka’s scent. She smelled like sweat, but beneath that he could smell something else, something bright… He wanted to say she smelled like the sun, be he had never had a chance to sniff the sun, so the comparison was worthless. Between those scents something else lingered, something sweet. After a couple of inhales, he determined the sweet smell was coming from her hair so he hugged her and buried his nose in her hair. It was a scent that reminded him of spring, it was sweet but not delicate. He thought of flowers, fruits and for some reason the color pink. It was too much, too intoxicating. Haruka had long closed her eyes, the sensation was strangely satisfying.

“Am I interrupting something?” Both Klaus’s and Haruka’s eyes shot open. Haruka turned to look at the source of the voice, which turned out to be Ashe. “Shall I give you guys a minute?” she smirked. Klaus quickly sat up, holding onto Haruka as not to throw her off.

“Stop your teasing, we just fell.” Haruka retorted, but the blush on her face told Ashe otherwise.

“It’s not like I’ve been standing here for ages.” Ashe continued to tease Haruka. She didn’t know Klaus well enough to direct any comments to him, but Haruka, Haruka was fair game. “I can almost smell the tension between you two.”

Haruka rolled her eyes, “Are you almost done?”

Ashe laughed, “You caught yourself something, but it’s no chicken.” Ashe’s laughed even louder at her joke and Haruka couldn’t help but join in herself.

Klaus watched the two women in silence, “Oh, but we did catch your chicken!” Haruka exclaimed, pointing at Klaus’s tailcoat hanging from the tree.

Ashe’s mouth fell open. “You really did it…How on Earth?” Haruka stood up and lowered the coat. Ashe grabbed it, the chicken popped its head out and Ashe let out a surprised gasp. The chicken _glared_ at Ashe and Haruka giggled, the chicken didn’t really like her. Realization hit Haruka, if she let Ashe take the chicken then it was back to the cage for it, right? No matter how much the chicken had made her suffer, she wasn’t about to let it go back to prison. “I guess I head back then.” Ashe turned around and started walking.

“Oi, Ashe, wait!” Haruka shouted. Ashe turned to look at her, confusion on her face. “I’ll buy him.” Ashe’s eyes widen and Klaus finally sprung to his feet, both of them shouting ‘WHAT’ in unison. “What you heard, I’m buying him.” Haruka marched towards Ashe and took the chicken away from her. “I don’t have cash on me. So, how much cloth is the little devil gonna cost me?”

“Are you serious about this? I have better chickens back in the booth, I swear.”

“Haruka, no. We just spend hours trying to catch it!” Both Ashe and Klaus tried to reason with Haruka, but she chose not to listen to them in favor of getting the cloth out of her backpack. Klaus realized he was being ignored, so he grabbed Haruka’s chin and forced her to look at him. “What are you going to do the next time it decides to go on a running spree?” His voice was serious.

Haruka smiled, “I’ll go get you, so we can chase him down together.” Klaus blushed, not fair. That had been a low blow and even Ashe knew it. After that there was no way Klaus would return to the game, he was out for good. “Anything to add?” Haruka asked Ashe who put her hand up in the air as a sign of defeat.

“It seems I cannot do anything to persuade you, can I?” Ashe asked.

“Nope, I’m taking him home with me. That’s final.” Haruka handed Ashe the amount of cloth she considered to be enough, she was sure Ashe would tell her if she needed more or less.

“Okay then, I won’t be needing this.” Ashe handed back the cloth. Haruka read her intentions and frowned.

“I’m not letting you give him to me for free.”

“I’m not going to charge you for a favor.” Haruka’s brows furrowed. Ashe sighed and explained, “The feathered evil is more trouble than it’s worth. I appreciate you getting it off my hands.”

“I-” Haruka tried to argue but was silenced by Ashe.

“Just give it a name.” Ah, Haruka’s eyes shined, she loved naming her animals. It had to be the perfect name, one that reflected the chicken’s personality perfectly. She thought about what she knew about the chicken, but somehow naming him ‘Satan’ didn’t seem right. Haruka turned to look at Klaus who was watching both of them silently, deep in thought.

“What should we name him?” Haruka asked. Klaus sighed, his face more relaxed than it had been these past moments.

“It’s your chicken, you should be the one naming it.” He smiled softly at Haruka, it was cute that she had asked him to join in the naming.

Haruka walked to him, frowning, “We caught him together, it is only natural that we name him together.”

Klaus understood that he would not be able to win this one. “Okay then, how about ‘William’?” He had always liked that name, it was both elegant and powerful. One look at Haruka’s face told him that she did not share his thoughts.

“Are you kidding me? Who would name a chicken ‘William’?” Haruka laughed and Klaus crossed his arms in indignation. “It’s too long! Not to mention a little pretentious.”

“I think it is an excellent name!” Klaus was not enjoying Haruka picking on him.

“For a person, maybe, but not for a chicken!” Oh, she had liked the name then. “Think of something fun.”

“I am sorry to tell you this, but I am not a fun person.” Klaus was boring and gray, that’s what he would describe himself as. Perhaps he enjoyed sarcasm and innuendos, but they did not classify as ‘fun’.

“Aw, come on. Where’s the Klaus that fist pumped the air?” Haruka smirked at Klaus’s blush. So she DID see that…how embarrassing. That little moment had been the result of the adrenaline that a job well done gave him. However, Haruka’s words had given him a little perspective. Capturing the chicken had felt great. No, not only capturing it, but running after it too. Sure, he felt exhausted, but it was a good type of exhausted. He couldn’t feel but think he had…fun. Was this how Haruka felt every day?

Klaus pondered at the prospect of fun when a thought struck him. “How about ‘Bolt’?” he suggested. The chicken run like hell, so it seemed appropriate to name him that.

Haruka stared at him, wide eyed. As the seconds passed Klaus grew more and more uncomfortable, “I love it” Haruka murmured after a while. “It’s perfect!” she said, this time louder. “I knew you could do it!” She gave Klaus a quick hug. “I’m gonna go put him in the Coop, see you later!” she called as she started running. Both Ashe and Klaus shouted a quick goodbye and soon they were left alone.

“Ah well…” Ashe started, “You’re gonna have your hands full with that one…” and with that she turned around and walked towards town.

After a few minutes passed, Klaus decided to go back home. After all he had to finish the scent for his client. He thought about all that had happened. He had taken a walk, chased after a demon chicken, laid out a trap for said chicken and even smelled Haruka. He felt tired, but also invigorated. He felt like a young man all over again. Ah, youth. Oh! Youth! That’s it! That is how youth smells! Like energy, adrenaline and bad decisions! His head was flooded with ingredients that would create that effect. He quickened his step, he needed to get to work. He would make sure to thank Haruka later.


	10. Fireworks

“Is that what you’ll be wearing?” Iris asked as she glared at Klaus’s outfit. It was the day of the Fireworks Festival, one of Iris’s favorite festivals of the year, and they were getting ready to attend.

Klaus looked at himself in the mirror, “What’s wrong with it?” He was wearing his usual attire, just the way he liked it. “It’s what I always wear.”

Iris gave an exasperated sigh, “Exactly! It’s what you always wear!” Klaus looked at her, he wasn’t sure he was following her. Iris saw the incredulity in Klaus’s face and rolled her eyes, “It’s a festival, Klaus. You need to wear something more exciting!”

Klaus scoffed at her remark, “Says the one who is wearing the same thing she wears every day.” Klaus didn’t even bother to check Iris’s reaction, he knew her too well, she was pouting. He ran his hand through his hair, he looked presentable.

“That’s because this is my favorite outfit.” Iris twirled around, something Klaus was always impressed she could manage in that dress of hers. “You, on the other hand, need something more…” Iris chose her words carefully, “appealing.” Klaus saw her reflection smirk at him. Oh no, that was not just any smirk. That was the smirk she often used with her ‘dolls’.

Klaus turned to look at her, “Iris, no.” No, there was no fear in his voice, definitely not. Iris just stood there, smiling sweetly at him. “No.” Klaus repeated, trying to sound more commanding, but his voice came out as weak.

“Come _oooooon_ ,” Iris dragged her vowels like she always did when she wanted something. “You’re going to have _fuuuuuuuuun._ ” Klaus could be naïve, even dense at times, but he knew he wasn’t going to have fun. Klaus knew that if he let himself be dragged into this, he would never come out. In Iris’s eyes once you became a doll, you could not go back. It was like a weird, weird mafia.

“No, Iris, no.” Klaus backed up slowly, Iris mirroring his every movement. His back bumped into the mirror, he had no escape. This was it, Klaus was about to lose his status as human being and turned into one of Iris’s playthings. He would not be converted into a doll without a fight, “Iris, you do not even have time to coordinate a whole outfit.” Klaus tried to reason with her.

Iris pulled a hanger with a full outfit from nowhere and smiled at Klaus, “I already have…” She tilted her head, “You just have to put it on!” Oh, she had come prepared. Klaus should’ve seen this coming. There was no way he could reason with Iris now; she knew she had won.

Klaus gave a defeated sigh and took the hanger, “This better be good…” He examined the outfit. It was a short sleeved shirt with- Wait, short sleeved? He glared at Iris, “What are you playing at?” His voice harsher than he’d intended to, “You know I cannot wear short sleeves.” Iris didn’t even flinch at his glare.

“You **can** wear them; you just refuse to.” Klaus shot her a skeptic look, so now she wanted to use logic and proper word usage? “Here,” Iris pulled out a blazer and handed it to Klaus. He briefly pondered about where Iris was pulling all these clothes from when Iris spoke again, “I didn’t forget…”

“I know...” Klaus’s eyes warmed, of course she didn’t, she would never. “I will get changed, then.”

The outfit Iris had picked out for him was nice, it was a good combination of colors and styles. It would have looked great on someone younger, but not on him. Perhaps on Raeger it would look stylish, but on him it just looked like he was trying too hard. “I do not think I like this…” he said, looking at himself in the mirror and trying not to cringe.

“Nonsense! You look wonderful.” Iris exclaimed. She said that to all her dolls, so Klaus didn’t think too much about the compliment. “Come on, we don’t have much time.” Iris said impatiently. She always got giddy and a bit insufferable before her favorite festivals.

“Iris, relax. We have plenty of time.” Klaus was still looking at the mirror as he said that. He was still trying to accommodate the outfit into something NOT terrible.

Iris made and exasperated noise, “You’re going to take forever!” She dramatically threw her arms into the air, “I’m going to go get Mistel,” she headed for the door, but she suddenly turned around to look at him, “ **Five** minutes. No more” Were her final words.

Klaus didn’t even bother to look at her as she left. She had said five minutes…He would take six, just to spite her. While Klaus fretted over the mirror, a thought entered his mind. What would Haruka think? Before, he would have bet his life that Haruka would’ve seen the same thing he did, an old man trying too hard. But these past days had taught him that Haruka was extremely unpredictable. Maybe she wouldn’t see the old man in the mirror, perhaps she would even like his outfit. Maybe, just maybe, she would see a handsome-

Klaus’s thoughts froze. Handsome? Why would Haruka even think that? Klaus was fantasizing too much. Haruka’s tolerance of him had given his imagination fuel and his feelings false hope. He couldn’t fool himself any longer, could he? That longing he’d felt since his birthday celebration. That desire that sparked the time she had come into his house because she had ‘wanted to see his face’. Those feelings were not mere friendship. His feelings had evolved into something more, something indecent, a _crush_.

Klaus held onto the mirror. No, he couldn’t do that. His time for love was long past. He’d had his chance and he’d wasted it. He couldn’t just barge into Haruka’s life and claim her future for himself. No, he had to put a stop to all this.

Klaus squared himself. He had decided, he would control his feelings and put distance between Haruka and himself, it was only fair. Klaus took a steadying breath and got out of the house, he had taken more than five minutes and he didn’t want Iris to murder him.

Klaus was just closing his door when he heard Mistel speak, “So you got to play with two dolls for the festival, huh?”

Iris giggled, “Oh yes! It was so much fun, they were the most perfect canvases!” Klaus felt sorry for the other poor person who had received the same doll treatment he had.

“Stop that, sister. You’re freaking me out.” Mistel crossed his arms in mild exasperation. “I still think you went a bit overboard with Haruka…” Mistel trailed off.

Wait, did he just say Haruka? The two dolls Mistel had referred to were Haruka and him?

“Iris…” Klaus spoke. The moment Iris heard his voice she jumped a little.

She looked at him, her eyes a mixture of nervousness, worry and the fear children have when they’re caught in the act. “Oh, hey Klaus, you’re early!” Klaus narrowed his eyes, he was definitely not early, and her voice was definitely an octave higher.

“What did Mistel mean with ‘Haruka’?” he asked, trying to keep his voice as even as possible, given Mistel’s expression he was failing miserably.

“Ah, he didn’t m-mean anything by it-” Iris stammered.

“Do not lie to him.” Mistel told Iris, perhaps he was on Klaus’s side, or perhaps he was just tired of Iris bringing girls into their home and playing dress up with them. Iris shot him a glare that Mistel easily shrugged off, “Go on, tell him what you did.”

Iris sighed in defeat, “Okay…” she took a deep breath and explained herself, “Haruka came by this morning for me to dress her-”

“What she means is ‘I went very early in the morning to her farm to drag her here against her will.’’” Mistel explained, which earned him another dirty look from his sister.

“It was NOT against her will!” Iris added, exasperated.

“I heard her screams, that was totally against her will.”

So Iris had dragged Haruka from the comfort of her home to the torture room that was Iris’s closet. Haruka had received the same treatment he had, perhaps even worse, he knew girls had it tougher when it came to dressing up.

“Iris you have to stop this.” Klaus’s voice was serious, he wanted Iris to know he meant business. “You cannot do things that Haruka does not wish to.”

“But she was enjoying herself! She liked the dress I gave her and it’s even the _same_ -” Iris shut her mouth as quickly as the words had left it, her eyes wide.

“ _Same_? Same **what**?” Klaus asked. He didn’t need the answer to his question, he already knew. Klaus already knew Iris had put Haruka and him in matching outfits. That was something only Iris would do, something Klaus had specifically asked her _not_ to do.

Iris panicked, her plan had been discovered in the worse way possible. She wasn’t sure she could save the situation and prevent Klaus from changing clothes, but she would try, “I mean, it’s not the _same_ per se, but-”

“I am not going.” Klaus abruptly interrupted her. It took a few seconds for Iris to register what Klaus had said.

“You’re what?” she asked, praying she had heard wrong.

“I am not going to the festival,” he repeated, earning a look of disbelief from Iris. “I refuse to feed your delusions.”

“You can’t do that!” Iris exclaimed, losing her cool. Iris had never expected him to just _skip_ the festival, she had prepared for Klaus to want to change, but not this. The situation had blown in her face and she wasn’t sure what to do.

“Yes I can, and I will.” Klaus’s voice was filled with finality, but Iris was not about to have that.

“No, I-”

“Sister,” Mistel interrupted her, “let him be.” Mistel’s words were accompanied by a light tug on Iris’s arm.

“But-” Iris tried to make her case.

“He is a grown man,” Mistel interrupted her once again, his voice more serious. “He can make his own _mistakes_.” Klaus looked at Mistel who gave him a superior look. Ah, so he wasn’t exactly on his side. Mistel was trying to use reverse psychology, Klaus knew that, and he wasn’t about to fall for that trick. “Let’s go.” Mistel tried to drag Iris away. Iris gave Klaus a lingering glare until she finally decided to follow her brother, stomping all the way.

Klaus sighed, he was alone. He entered his house, he didn’t want to see the other residents when they got out of their houses to go to the festival. That would only result in awkward situations and uncomfortable questions. So he waited, he waited until Marian and Jonas and his family were out of range to go out again.

Klaus surveyed his surroundings. What could he do? He had never skipped a festival before. He felt disappointed because he enjoyed the yearly fireworks display, but he also felt…mischievous. He felt like a child skipping school for the first time. It was a rare mixture of excitement and anticipation. The only downside was that he had nothing to do. He briefly contemplated going back inside and working, but that would be like doing homework while skipping school, so that option was out. He finally decided to go for a walk in the woods. He waited a few more minutes, in case anyone was running late, and set off.

His walk was a peaceful one. He followed the trail that led into the mountain, he would go to the little meadow he loved, and if he was feeling adventurous he would even go to the nearby fields and see what kind of crops the farmers were growing.

Walking had always given Klaus time to think. He often thought about different fragrances he would mix, but today, he was thinking about his argument with Iris. Now that he’d had time to calm down he could see he’d been in the wrong. Sure, Iris was at fault too, but he had overreacted. He could not tell Iris what to do with her life, and he had not _specifically_ told Iris to not dress Haruka up. He would apologize to her when he got home.

Klaus wandered into the meadow, his thoughts now drifting into Haruka. How was she dressed? What would she feel when she saw Klaus was not there? Klaus dismissed those thoughts, there was no way Haruka would be thinking about him while surrounded by all her friends. Ah, the path he had chosen was a lonely one, if he could only-

“Ah!” Klaus let out as he fell to the ground. He landed on his hands and knees, which, he would not admit, hurt quite a bit.

“I’m so sorry! I didn’t see you there. I… Klaus?” a familiar voice asked. Klaus looked up from the ground, it couldn’t be. Haruka was sitting behind a bush, one of her legs was sticking out and Klaus assumed it had been what he had tripped over. The sun had set a while ago, so her face was illuminated by the faint moonlight. Klaus didn’t know if his feelings had skewed his perception, but Haruka looked very pretty, beautiful even. “Klaus? Did you hit your head?”

Klaus looked at her, it couldn’t be. He was hallucinating, right? His feelings were so screwed up that they had tricked his mind into creating this impossible situation. While Klaus was struggling to separate fantasy from reality, Haruka was still looking at him. She was honestly wondering if he had suffered from some sort of head trauma or something. She cleared her throat in an attempt to gain Klaus’s attention.

The noise brought Klaus back from his thoughts. His little fantasy felt extremely real. He hadn’t noticed, but while he had been enjoying Haruka’s company, his mind had captured every little detail that made Haruka…. well, Haruka. The exact same blue shade of her eyes, the delicate curve of her round cheeks. Heck, his mind even got right the slight furrow between her brows she does when she is confused.

“Klaus, you’re scaring me.” Haruka’s replica spoke again with no real fear in her voice. Funny, even her voice was the same. A thought entered his mind…What if this was the real Haruka? Of course, it was impossible, but _what if…?_ Klaus extended his hand to touch her cheek. His hand met soft skin, _oh_. “Yes, still flesh.” Haruka joked.

Klaus jerked back his hand and his cheeks changed color so fast that Haruka would’ve been worried if the darkness had not camouflaged it. “I am deeply sorry,” he said getting on his feet and trying to cover his flushed face with his hand.

“No worries, no worries. I’m just glad you’re okay.” Haruka smiled at him from her spot on the ground. “What are you doing here?”

Klaus sighed that was supposed to be his line. He had gone out of his way to avoid Haruka, he had even waited for the festival to start to avoid running into her in the woods. And out of nowhere here she was, sitting on the floor like she was meant to be here. Not only had his plan failed, he had tripped over her, it was like the universe hated him.   

Haruka was still sitting on the ground waiting for his response, so he extended his hand to help Haruka get up, “I could be asking you the same thing.” Haruka did not take his hand, instead she patted the spot next to her. “No, the woods are dangerous at night.”

Haruka rolled her eyes, “And what are you gonna do about that?” she asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Klaus was not fazed; she always took that attitude when he offered to walk her home. He always won. “I am taking you back home.”

“But I wanna see the _firewooooooorks_.” Haruka whined. Klaus was sure Haruka had been spending too much time with Iris, the dragging of vowels a clear sign.

“Then why are you not at the festival?” asked Klaus, not only because it was the comeback that made the most sense, but also because he was truly curious as to how Haruka had ended up in the same place he was.

“Well I _was_ going _,_ ” she said in a tone that implied it was the most obvious thing in the world. “I mean, I even dressed up nicely and all…” she pouted while playing with the hem of her dress. Klaus had been too busy deciding if Haruka was real or not that he had not noticed her outfit.

He internally groaned, _they matched_. Haruka was wearing a sleeveless dress of the same color his shirt was, and…a single…shoe? Okay, Klaus would be the first to admit that he didn’t really keep up with fashion trends, but a single shoe for a night out? That felt a little extreme.

“Where is your other shoe?” he asked, trying to keep a straight face.

Haruka frowned, “Ah, it…may be a little…broken…” she took the shoe from behind her back and showed it to Klaus. The shoe’s heel was not attached to the shoe, but was instead on the palm of Haruka’s hand. “Let’s just say that heels are not meant to be run in…” Ah, that was such a Haruka thing to do.

“Why did you not just return home and change shoes?” Klaus was trying his hardest not to burst out laughing.

“Ah well, you see, the shoe was mad I broke it,” she explained with grand gestures, amusing Klaus even further, “so it kind of took my ankle with it…” as soon as she finished she braced herself for Klaus’s reaction. Haruka knew Klaus took her health very seriously, perhaps even more than her.

Klaus dropped to his knees and took Haruka’s ankle into his hands. “Are you okay? Does it hurt? Tell me where it hurts.” He started probing her ankle in various spots, watching her face closely for a response.

Haruka laughed, “I’m okay, it’s just a light sprain.” She assured him, “But I would love to see the return of Doctor Klaus.” Klaus chuckled, if Haruka was making jokes, the injury couldn’t be that bad. He probed until he was sure that it was nothing major and lowered Haruka’s leg. “So what’s the diagnosis?” She playfully asked.

“Well…” Klaus made a dramatic pause, “You are not going to lose your leg.” He said in the most professional voice he could muster.

“Praise the Harvest Goddess!” Haruka threw her arms into the air and both of them burst out laughing. They laughed so hard that tears were forming in Haruka’s eyes and Klaus had to clutch his stomach. They finally calmed down after a while, their laughter fading into the night. Haruka patted the spot next to her again and this time Klaus complied. They sat in silence for a few moments, both of them relishing on the beauty the night brought to the forest. “So…” Haruka started, “Why are _you_ here?”

Ah, of course she wanted to know the reason he was here instead of enjoying the festival with the rest of the residents. Klaus didn’t know how to answer her question. He couldn’t blatantly tell her his reason for not going, but he didn’t want to lie to her. What could you do when neither truth nor lie were the answer? “I…” Klaus searched for the right words, and Haruka looked at him expectantly. “I did not feel comfortable with going.” That wasn’t the truth, but it wasn’t a lie either, perfect.

“Why?” Haruka asked. Oh no, he had not been ready for a follow up question. “Are you alright?” Klaus stayed silent, he needed to change the subject, he knew if Haruka pressed further he wouldn’t deny her the knowledge, no matter how embarrassing it was. After a minute of complete silence something hit Haruka, realization. “Oh, it’s okay if you don’t want to tell me. I understand.”

“Oh no, it is just…” Klaus was in a dilemma. He didn’t want Haruka to know about his feelings, about how he needed to put distance between them to protect her from the big bad wolf. On the other hand, he also didn’t want to put distance between them? He wanted Haruka to feel, no, to _know_ that he trusted her, and earn her trust in return. Why did life have to be so complicated? And why, just why did he have to be filled with contradictions? He looked at her, she was staring attentively at him, and he knew he would always lose to those eyes. “I had a fight with Iris.” He blurted out.

Haruka eyes widened, “What? Why?” She put her hands over her mouth, “No, wait. I’m sorry, you don’t have to answer that.” Klaus chuckled, she could be so cute. He chose to stay quiet this time, only the Harvest Goddess knows what he would blurt out next if he continued. “I’m glad you changed first,” she whispered. The night was quiet so Klaus was able to catch her words.

“What do you mean?” he asked.

Haruka blushed, “I mean…It’s not like I’m glad you two fought.” She tried to explain herself, growing redder by the minute. “But, you know…You look good.”

Klaus’s eyes widened, all his fantasies were coming true! Sure, his fantasy Haruka had said ‘handsome’, but ‘good’ was enough, great, even. He would take ‘good’ anytime. “Ah, thank you…” he said, pretending his cheeks had not gone warm. “You do not look good,” he expected a frown, and that’s exactly what Haruka gave him. She opened her mouth to answer back, probably something snarky, but he was faster. “You look beautiful.” He liked making Haruka smile, laugh and blush, but he liked it even more when she was left speechless because of him. Why? Because it meant that he had done something even quick witted Haruka could not respond.

She had never been called beautiful before. Okay, that was not entirely true. Her mother and father, heck, even her brother had called her beautiful plenty of times, but they were family, and they didn’t count. More accurately, she had never been called beautiful by someone outside of her family. Vocabulary in the city was limited to ‘cute’ and ‘hot’. Apparently she didn’t meet the city’s standards for ‘hot’ so she was always called ‘cute’. It was nice to be called something else for a change.

Even under the moonlight her blush was obvious. Haruka made an effort to cover her face, “How can you say such embarrassing things out loud.” Her voice muffled by her hands, but the message reached Klaus nonetheless.

Klaus laughed, “It does not matter if it is embarrassing or not,” Haruka had to uncover her face to look at him, “what matter is that it is the truth.” He said, making Haruka’s blush deepen. Klaus had experience with the ladies, it was not something he denied, but it had been years since he had been so smooth.

“You’re crazy…” Haruka covered her face and her voice became muffled once again.

Klaus’s next words were ‘Crazy about you’, but before they could leave his mouth he stopped them. What? Had he really just been seconds away from saying that? What was wrong with him? Just minutes before he had been swearing to himself that he would create distance between them, and now he had to make a conscious effort to stop himself from flirting with Haruka! He could not trust himself anymore. For a moment he was afraid that he would not be strong enough to protect Haruka from himself.

Haruka’s voice interrupted his convoluted thoughts, “Ah, it’s starting!” Haruka pointed at the sky where, sure enough, the first fireworks were making their way into the sky. Klaus watched the fireworks explode into different colors and light up the night. He turned to look at Haruka. She was watching the show with awe, her mouth slightly agape and her eyes following each and every one of the colors in the sky. Her expression almost mimicked childlike wonder. Klaus wished he could stop time and stay frozen in this moment forever. Just Haruka and him, watching fireworks with no worries nor complicated feelings.

The fireworks display went on a little longer than last year’s. When the last firework had exploded, and the sky had become dark once again, Haruka sighed, “Wasn’t that wonderful?” she asked Klaus, her eyes bright despite the darkness.

Klaus smiled, “Yes, I enjoyed it quite a lot.” He would not tell Haruka that for the majority of the display he had been watching her. “It is getting late; you should go back…” he trailed off. He fought the urge to say ‘Let us go’, the first step to creating distance was to stop walking her home every time.

“Okay” Haruka chirped, standing up. She took small steps, her shoes in her hand. When she felt Klaus wasn’t following her, she stopped. She turned to look at him and was confused when she saw him rooted to the floor. “Let’s go…?” she asked with a tentative air. Had Klaus not heard her before?

“Ah, you can go on ahead. I will head back shortly.” Every part of him was screaming ‘walk her home’, ‘it’s not safe’, but he fought every single one of the voices. He could do this, no, he had to do this.

“Are you not walking me home?” Haruka suddenly asked. Wow, Klaus had expected her to reference it, but not to bluntly ask him. Haruka was surprised as well. The words had left her mouth before she could stop them. She hadn’t wanted to be so direct, but the prospect of Klaus not walking her home bothered her, and she at least wanted to know the reason why.

“I…I have urgent matters to tend to…” Klaus lied, he had absolutely nothing to do and nowhere to be. Klaus knew Haruka would not fall for it, she was too smart to believe his blatant lie. He just hoped that Haruka would take the hint and drop the subject.

Haruka frowned, Klaus was lying to her and she didn’t know why. Had she done something wrong? Had she weirded him out with how much she loved fireworks? Her worry was quickly replaced by annoyance, what urgent matters did he have to do? What was _so_ urgent that he had to leave her side? Whatever it was, it could wait. “My ankle hurts,” she stated, looking Klaus dead in the eye. Klaus was surprised, he expected reproach, anger, maybe even sadness, not ‘my ankle hurts’.

“I-” Klaus tried to respond, but Haruka cut him off.

“Carry me.” Klaus was stunned, her words had not sounded like a request, they sounded like an order, which, in hindsight, was exactly what they were.

They stood in silence for a few seconds before Klaus spoke, “Why?” was all he could manage. His willpower was getting weaker by the second, he would not last a showdown.

Haruka smirked, “It hurts _reeeeeeally_ bad” Ah, she dragged her vowels, she smelled victory. There was no way Klaus would win this, was there?

Klaus sighed in defeat, if that was what she wanted, then so be it. “Okay then,” he said, and Haruka’s face lit up with a smile. He walked towards her while Haruka extended her arms. Haruka motioned him to turn around and lower himself. Did she think she was getting a piggyback ride? Ha, no way. Klaus swept her off her feet and carried her bridal style. If she wanted to play dirty, then so would he.

Klaus carried Haruka through the woods, he would love to see Haruka’s blushing face, but she had long hidden her face in his neck. “This is _so_ embarrassing” Haruka said after a while, her warm breath slightly tickled Klaus.

“Ah, well, it is a small sacrifice to make in the name of your ankle, is it not?” Klaus joked. Deep down he was glad Haruka had pressured him. Even though he was mad at himself for accepting, he was glad to know that Haruka had wanted this too. It made him feel less guilty.

“Thank you…” Haruka whispered into Klaus’s neck.

A small smile escaped Klaus, “For what?” he asked, trying his hardest to keep the amusement out of his voice. Klaus could hear Haruka’s voice, but she was pressed so hard against his neck that he didn’t understand what she’d said. “I am sorry; I did not catch that” he said into Haruka’s hair. When had he nestled his face into Haruka’s hair?

“For spoiling me…” Haruka repeated and Klaus let out a chuckle.

“It is my pleasure,” Klaus answered truthfully. He loved the fact that Haruka thought she was the one being spoiled and not the other way around.

The rest of the short journey was spent in silence. They arrived at her farmland, but Klaus did not stop until they had reached her house. Klaus put her down gently, so gently in fact, that Haruka imagined herself with one of the ‘handle with care’ stickers that she often saw placed on luggage.

“Thank you,” Haruka said when her feet touched the ground. She had never imagined Klaus would be able to carry her princess style all the way to her farm, he didn’t come off as the athletic type.

“It was nothing,” he said, looking, not at Haruka, but behind her. He seemed to be struggling with something inside his mind. Haruka did not interrupt his thoughts, instead she waited for him to finish. A few seconds passed, but the conflict inside Klaus’s mind did not seem to be coming to a close.

When she could bear the silence no longer she spoke, “Is something-” she tried to ask, but was immediately silenced by Klaus bending down and pressing a soft peck on her cheek.

Klaus straighten himself, “Goodnight then,” with those last words he walked into the night, disappearing from Haruka’s sight and leaving her with a swirl of emotions inside.

Haruka didn’t know how long she stood there after Klaus left, neither did she remember opening up her door and stepping inside, but she was inside her house, so she must have done it. She threw herself on the bed, what had just happened? Did Klaus really just kiss her? Sure, it had been a peck on the cheek, a soft brush on her skin that had lasted seconds, but a kiss is a kiss. Just the thought of it was enough to make her blush.

Her heart was beating incredibly fast and her stomach had tons of imaginary butterflies in it…Ah, she liked him, didn’t she? Realization hit her like a brick. She liked Klaus, and not in a friend kind of way. She liked Klaus in a ‘hold hands with me and never look at another woman again’ kind of way.

Haruka’s mind was racing, everything made sense now. Her constant cravings for Klaus’s presence and her excitement every time she saw him were clear signs of her affections towards him. Heck, even the anger and annoyance she had felt when he told her that he had ‘urgent matters to tend to’, she’d been jealous. Jealous of the ‘matter’ that was taking away _her_ Klaus.

Haruka sat up, her thoughts a jumbled mess. What would she do now? Did Klaus like her back? She hated assuming people’s feelings, but she was fairly certain Klaus liked her back. There was something about his attitude that hinted he had feelings for her. But…What if he didn’t? What if Klaus’s feelings for her were mere friendship, perhaps he even saw her as a little sister. In that case…She could not wrap her head around the concept. She couldn’t imagine Klaus not returning her feelings. There was something in her gut that told her he did.

Haruka liked Klaus, and Klaus liked Haruka (maybe), so what was next? Haruka thought for a moment. Direct approach had always been her method of choice. A simple ‘Hey I like you, do you like me back?’ always did the trick. It was quick, easy, and nobody’s time was wasted. However, Klaus didn’t seem like the type of guy who would appreciate a direct confession. His fairytale appearance and the gentleman façade he always put on told Haruka that he was the type who would enjoy swooping a woman off her feet. And just who was she to deny Klaus of that pleasure?

Haruka giggled at the image of Klaus lifting and spinning her around through a field of, not flowers, but ready to harvest cotton and flax. Ah, her favorite things in the world, all in one picture.

Haruka threw herself on her bed once more. She felt like a teenager all over again, wondering how she should confess to the one she fancied at the moment. After a trip down memory lane, Haruka decided. She would wait until Klaus was ready to make a move. She would patiently wait and give Klaus the freedom to decide when to start their relationship. After all, how long could it take?


	11. River Party

Her patience was running out.

It was early in the morning and Haruka was watering her crops as per usual. Watering her crops didn't require Haruka to use a lot of her mind, so it was free to wander around. Today, like most other days, her thoughts wandered to Klaus.

Haruka thought to the days after 'the kiss', that was how she'd named the peck on the cheek that Klaus had given her. She thought that their relationship would have changed, given how she was now aware of her feelings for Klaus, but it didn't. Their relationship hadn't changed in the slightest. Well, no, that was not completely true. Even though they still saw each other every day, Klaus had stopped having lunch with her. No matter how many days Haruka tried, and no matter how many options she provided, Klaus always seemed to have things to do.

What annoyed her the most was that Klaus had made no attempt to further their relationship at all. Haruka sighed, she was getting frustrated. After the Fireworks festival she had agreed to wait for him like the good soon-to-be-girlfriend that she was, but it was the last day of summer and just like the leaves, her composure was starting to fall. Perhaps Klaus needed a little help…A tiny push.

Haruka put her watering can away, her situation with Klaus could wait until she finished her chores. She made her way to the barn where Hanako was. Haruka pet and fed Hanako. Before, she would spend a good part of her day with Hanako, but the things she had to check every morning were increasing by the week, so her time with her loved cow was cut short.

Haruka finished with Hanako and turned to the coop. Bolt went nuts when it saw her, "Calm down, buddy" Haruka said, trying her hardest to pick Bolt up. Both of them went outside and Haruka put Bolt down in the little fenced area she had constructed especially for her runaway chicken. Bolt was different from Hanako, not because of the obvious biological reasons, but because Hanako was perfectly fine staying indoors every other day. Bolt, on the other hand, got anxious when it spent more than a night inside the coop.

Haruka left Bolt and went on to check her makers. These little sheds were the reason she had plenty of gold to survive, but barely enough to keep being Asche's friend. Once Haruka finished checking the makers she went to see Eda. Along the way to Eda's farm Haruka saw Bolt jumping the fence and running around her crops, ah, why did she even bother?

Eda's fields were already clean and ready for planting; it gave the farm a bare feeling. Only a small section of Haruka's field was bare, the section where she planted seasonal crops. The rest of her field was dedicated to crops she could plant all year round. Eda was inside her house, washing the dishes where she'd surely had breakfast.

"Hey, Granny. Need any help?" Haruka asked, approaching Eda from behind.

Eda chuckled, "No, dearie. It's alright." Eda continued scrubbing the dishes and Haruka frowned.

"You sure, Granny?" It was not like she didn't believe Eda could manage with the dishes, but she didn't want Eda to have to deal with the dishes, she wanted to help. Haruka had never known her grandparents. Sure, she had had Maribelle and Taro, but Mirabelle was not that old, and Taro had always scared the living daylights out of her, so they didn't count. Eda was the sort of grandparent that she wished she had.

"It's okay, dearie. You could help me by shipping the last day's produce," Eda suggested, sensing Haruka meant well and wanted to be helpful.

Haruka nodded, "Sure, shall I bring you some seeds too? Asche is not coming tomorrow, but she promised to bring some fall seeds today!" Eda finished doing the dishes and handed Haruka a basket full of fresh produce.

"You two have become good friends, haven't you?" Eda asked.

Haruka gave Eda a sheepish smile, "Well, Asche is usually very professional, but yeah, we're friends." Eda looked at her with happiness in her eyes.

"Good, I thought so. I'm so happy you were able to make so many friends." Eda was talking softly, almost sadly.

"Is something wrong, Granny?" Haruka's brow furrowed, Eda was acting strange.

"Nothing, dearie." She wiped her hands on her apron and turned around, "Oh, a don't bother with the seeds, dearie. I haven't decided what I want to plant yet."

Haruka left Eda's house with a strange feeling in her gut. Was it worry? She had never heard Eda talk like that, she was usually cheerful and a bit sarcastic. It also struck Haruka as strange that Eda had still not decided what she wanted to plant. After all, it had been Eda who'd told her that the first day of every season was of utter importance.

Haruka walked to town, letting her mind drift into happier thoughts, Klaus, for example. Even though the situation was not ideal, thinking about Klaus still made her feel giddy inside. She thought back to their interactions and was surprised that she had taken so much time figuring out her feelings, it all seemed so clear now. Haruka kept walking, trying her hardest not to skip, she knew she had it bad, but others didn't need to know.

It was hot, and Haruka was thinking about having a dive in the river when she spotted Fritz. He was at the edge of the river, fishing.

"Hey Fritz!" Haruka called. Fritz turned around when he heard her voice and smiled at her. "Catch anything good?" she asked, still thinking about how cool the water would feel on her skin.

"Hey Haruka, nothing much. I'm just killing time." Fritz said, putting his fishing rod away.

Haruka was confused, she knew Fritz didn't have as much land as the other farmers, but the end of the season was still a busy time. "Why? What are you waiting for?" Fritz blush was apparent, even to Haruka's eye.

"Ah well, I may have started this season out with the wrong foot…" he scratched the back of his head. Ah well, that made sense. Farmers needed to plan ahead, knowing when to plant and harvest crops and making the best out of the cycle. Missing a single day, especially the first of the season, could ruin the whole plan and leave you with nothing to show for it at the end of the season.

"Sorry to hear that," Haruka said, knowing full well how making huge mistakes felt. "Though on the bright side, you have plenty of time to rest and have fun!" Haruka thought that would've cheered Fritz up, but her words had little to no effect on him. "Something wrong with fun?" Haruka asked when Fritz grimaced.

"Nothing wrong with a healthy amount of fun but…I haven't been having fun lately, to be honest…" Fritz trailed off, choosing to look, not at Haruka, but into the distance.

"And why is that?" Haruka could not picture Fritz not having fun. The sole idea was foreign to her. What could possibly keep Fritz from being…Well, Fritz?

Fritz avoided eye contact with Haruka, he could never tell her that she was the reason he was not having fun. Raeger had told him that maybe Haruka was into the mature type of guy. Those guys who wore fancy clothes, used fancy words and did fancy things. Raeger never used the words  _‘like Klaus’_ , which bothered Fritz, because he was literally describing Klaus. Apparently mature guys did not play Extreme Tag, nor Catch the Chicken, so Fritz descended into a spiral of boredom.

"It's okay if you don't wanna tell me." Said Haruka after Fritz was silent enough to make her uncomfortable. "But I just can't imagine you NOT having fun!" Haruka threw her hands into the air, doing the exaggerated gestures she usually did when around Fritz. "If we were back on the island, I would invite you to our beach party!"

"Beach party?" Her words had piqued Fritz's interest and Haruka could tell.

"Yup! On the last day of summer, my family and I always had a beach party!" The memories of warm sand, roasted corn and salty water filled her head. "It was a lot of fun." And, in Haruka's opinion, was exactly what Fritz needed.

Fritz's eyes sparkled as he thought of a brilliant idea, "Why don't we have one here?" he said excitedly. Haruka threw him a skeptic look, "What? I bet it would be fun!"

"Fritz, you can't have a beach party without a beach. It's literally impossible!"

Fritz rolled his eyes, "We have a river! It's basically the same!"

Haruka looked at Fritz. She wanted to tell him that no, a river was not basically the same as an ocean, but the building excitement in her stomach stopped the words from her mouth. Fritz's words were making more and more sense with each passing second. A river could work, right? Water was water after all, and the little patches of mud could pass as sand…maybe.

Haruka looked at Fritz, her expression began to slowly mirror his own face full of excitement. "I think…" she began. Fritz stared at her, face full of anticipation, "I love that idea!"

Fritz punched the air, "Excellent!" he picked Haruka up and spun her around. Haruka let out a high pitched laugh. Fritz put her down before he got dizzy and dropped her. "We need to tell Raeger."

Haruka's eyes shone with mischief, and Fritz was reminded of why he liked Haruka in the first place. "I'll race you there!" as soon as the words were spoken, she bolted towards town.

Fritz was stunned by approximately half a second before he followed after her, "Hey! Not fair!" he shouted at Haruka's retreating back.

* * *

 

Raeger sat behind his counter, reading one of his grandpa's cookbooks. Not a single customer had entered his restaurant since he'd opened. He hated slow days, they made him feel anxious. He was deciding whether or not to take his break early when the door flew open, revealing his two favorite dorks, Fritz and Haruka.

Haruka was panting, her hands on her knees, and Fritz was taking huge mouthfuls of air. Haruka was letting tiny 'I won's in between breaths and Fritz was mumbling something that sounded a lot like 'cheater'. Everything seemed to point to them having another race. Raeger was embarrassed that he had to add the word 'another' to the sentence.

"You better be here for my excellent cooking." Raeger told them, knowing full well that they weren't.

"Ah, are you having a slow day?" Haruka asked and, without waiting for Raeger's answer, she added, "Just like Fritz!"

Haruka laughed hard at her own joke and Raeger heard Fritz, who was still panting, complain. Raeger looked at them and something similar to longing hit him. How could two people who were obviously made for each other, still be apart?

"Raeger! We have news!" Fritz said, trying to talk over Haruka's laughter. Did he just say news? Raeger's stomach clenched, could it be? "We're having a party!" Oh…A party…He tried to hide his look of disappointed but Haruka caught him before he could.

"What?" Haruka told him, a smug look on her face, "Cupcake doesn't like parties?" Fritz whickered and Raeger flushed red.

"That was ONE time Haruka," Raeger shouted, his head flooding with embarrassing memories. "Anyways, what is this about a party? Someone's birthday?" Raeger tried to remember the birthday of every important person in his life, but he didn't recall anyone having a birthday today.

"It's a river party!" Fritz and Haruka said at the same time, equal unnerving grins on both of their faces.

A river party? Raeger had never heard of such a thing, "What's that?"

"It's like a beach party-" said Haruka.

"-but better!" finished Fritz. Raeger had to suppress a laugh. They were literally finishing each other's sentences, how cute. Raeger thought about it, 'like a beach party but better'. He had been to a couple beach parties back when he was still a student. They had been fun, but he seriously doubted a 'river party' could be any better.

A river couldn't replace a beach. He thought that Haruka would know that better than anyone, her living on an island and all, but she was still grinning up at him, expecting his answer. "Ah, well…I have things to do, you see…" Raeger said in a weak voice. He knew there was no way he was getting out of the so called 'river party'.

"Yeah, we can totally see that." Haruka's voice was dripping with sarcasm, she looked around the restaurant, even lifting some tablecloths to make sure there were no customers hiding under the tables. "Totally." She repeated, just to add insult to the injury.

Raeger rolled his eyes, that was a direct hit to his ego. "Ugh, okay, but I won't prepare any food, got it?" He agreed. He was going to agree anyhow. He could resist one dork, but when the two came and ambushed him like this, he just couldn't resist.

"Great! Your presence is all we need." Fritz said. Raeger wondered if Fritz's face muscles ever hurt from smiling so much.

"Who's coming?" Raeger asked.

Haruka answered him in a confused voice, "Us…?"

Oh no, he refused to be the third wheel at this party, "We need more people," he said at once. Fritz looked doubtful, but Haruka's face told him that she agreed.

"Like who?" Fritz asked, reluctant to invite more people.

Raeger thought for a second, who could he invite? "I am positive I can get Lillie and Melanie to come." Lillie was a childhood friend of his and since Melanie was her sister, he knew her as well. Lillie was sure to be busy, she always was since being on TV was a big job, but if the party was in the afternoon, then they could manage. He turned to look at Fritz, "I'm pretty sure you can get Angela and Lutz to come."

"Angela? Lutz? And how am I supposed to do that?" Fritz asked, his voice had a tinge of annoyance to it.

Raeger smirked, Fritz absolutely didn't want more people to come, and Raeger needed to know why. "Just tell Angela that you'll be near the river with the possibility of dying a painful death." Angela was the town's nurse, and as the town's number one klutz, Fritz and Angela saw eye to eye quite a lot.

"You think she'll be worried?" Fritz was uncertain.

"Nah, but she'll definitely come see you die." Haruka suppressed a laugh and Fritz frowned, crossing his arms. He mumbled something like 'no way' that Raeger ignored. "For Lutz…Just tell him that Melanie is coming." Raeger knew for a fact that little Lutz had a crush on Melanie. It could be because Melanie was a pretty young girl, but it could also be that she was the only other kid around. Raeger turned to look at Haruka, "And you-"

Raeger's voice was cut off by Haruka's excited one, "Klaus!" Her face flushed red, apparently she had not meant to blurt that out, at least not as excitedly as she had. Raeger shot Fritz a sideway glace and saw him grimacing. Oh, so that's why he didn't want more people. Raeger screwed up, didn't he? "I mean," Haruka cleared her throat. "I am positive I can get Klaus to come."

"I don't know…He doesn't look like he'd enjoy our river party…" Fritz told her, putting a little too much emphasis in the 'our'. Raeger's eyes widened, he hadn't expected Fritz to speak up.

Haruka looked at him, confident, "Oh, he will come anyway." Something about the smug look on her face told Raeger that Fritz's remark had only made her more excited to tell Klaus. "I'll bring Mistel and Iris too." Oh great, the whole Klaus crowd would come. "I'll get going then, I'm late." Raeger didn't need to know what she was late for; he knew it surely involved Klaus. "I'll see you later!" she chirped, turning around and leaving the restaurant.

Raeger turned to look at Fritz, convinced his friend would need a little pep talk. However, Fritz was not looking down, instead he looked ready to take over the world. "I'm doing it tonight." Fritz told Raeger, voice full of determination.

"Doing what?" Raeger asked, trying to keep the incredulity from his voice.

"I'm confessing to Haruka," Fritz's cheeks turned a soft shade of pink, "tonight." Raeger didn't have the courage to tell his friend that maybe that wasn't the best idea. Had Fritz not heard how Haruka blurted out Klaus's name?

Raeger was sure Haruka did not return Fritz's feelings, at least not yet. It didn't matter how good friends they were, nor how made for each other they were, the truth was that Haruka liked Klaus, perhaps even a little more than Raeger had anticipated. If Fritz confessed tonight, Haruka was sure to reject him.

Raeger looked at Fritz, his best friend. Raeger knew that Fritz's feeling had long since become something bigger than a crush. Fritz was in love, and Raeger would make sure he had a fair shot at winning Haruka's affections. He knew Haruka would never budge, she was too stubborn, leaving Klaus as his only option. Raeger would have to get inside Klaus's head and try to make him give up on Haruka. The question was...how?

* * *

 

Haruka skipped through the town, yes, skipped. She was ecstatic, not only because of the river party, but because it was the perfect opportunity to give Klaus the tiny push he needed to confess. What was more romantic than watching the sunset together by the river? Well, watching the sunset together by the beach…But they didn't have a beach, so they would have to make do.

Haruka reached Klaus's door and opened it. She had stopped knocking after the fifth time Klaus told her it was not necessary. Klaus was not in the kitchen, so Haruka continued to the bedroom, which doubled as Klaus's workstation.

Klaus was sitting at his desk, sleeping. Haruka approached him quietly, she had never seen him sleeping, and if she was quiet enough, she would be in for a treat. Klaus was sleeping peacefully, his head resting on his crossed arms. Haruka observed his face, he had dark circles under his eyes, was he not sleeping well?

Watching someone sleep was a little creepy, she knew, but this was a face of Klaus's that she didn't know, and she wanted to know them all. Haruka reached out her finger and lightly traced Klaus's features. His sleeping face looked younger, and ironic as it was, he looked more alive. Klaus grunted and captured Haruka's hand with his own. Haruka panicked, had he woken up? Was she going to be labeled as a creepy stalker? Klaus grunted again, but did not open his eyes, he was still asleep. Haruka sighed in relief, but quickly realized that her hand was trapped in Klaus's. She lightly tugged at it, but sleeping Klaus's grip was surprisingly strong.

"Haruka…" Klaus mumbled in his sleep. Haruka blushed, was Klaus dreaming of her? She stopped trying to get her hand back, if Klaus wanted it so bad he could have it. She had expected Klaus's hands to be soft, but the hand holding her own was barely softer than hers, and she was a farmer. How had a perfumer's hands gotten so rough? What had Klaus been doing before he met her? Before he came to town? There were so many things she wanted to know, so many questions she wanted to ask him.

Klaus stirred, his eyes opening slowly. He saw Haruka and seemed to make a double take. "Haruka?" he asked when he was unsure she was not a figment of his imagination.

"Hey, sleepy head." Haruka smiled warmly at him, and Klaus lifted his head.

"What time is it?" he asked, voice as raspy as he was disoriented.

"A bit before noon," he looked at her, "don't worry, you haven't missed lunch." Klaus gave a weak laugh.

"Why are you here?" he asked her when his brain was capable enough to register that Haruka was indeed there and he had just been sleeping.

Haruka blushed slightly, "Ah well, I came to invite you somewhere, but you attacked me in your sleep…" she trailed off.

Klaus looked at her, alarmed. Had he attacked her in his sleep? No! "I-" he started but Haruka cut him off.

"Yeah, you took my hand hostage," she lifted the hand she that was intertwined with his. Klaus gave an apparent sigh of relief and Haruka laughed. "What? You thought you actually attacked me? You wouldn't do that!" Haruka kept laughing, but Klaus mumbled a 'You do not know that' that Haruka didn't catch. Haruka gave Klaus's hand a light squeeze and he let go.

"So, what did you come invite me to?" Klaus asked, trying to calm himself. Haruka's joke had struck a nerve. He wished she wouldn't joke like that, but she didn't know the predicament he was in, so he couldn't completely blame her. Haruka didn't know she was the reason Klaus had succumbed to sleep in the middle of the day. The contradictory feelings that he felt for Haruka were keeping him awake every night.

"Well…" she started, her voice steadily growing in excitement. "I've come to invite you to our river party!" she clapped her hands excitedly. "Sounds fun, right?"

"What exactly is a river party?" Klaus asked. He had been all over the world, travelling both for pleasure and work, and he had never heard of anything called a 'river party'.

Haruka answered so quickly Klaus knew she had expected him to ask that question. "It's like a beach party, but instead of a beach, a river!" Oh, that was simple. So simple in fact, that it would have never occurred to Klaus.

"Why? Is it someone's birthday?" Klaus knew that it wasn't Haruka's, but the only other birthdays he knew were Iris's, Mistel's and Marian's. Perhaps it was one of Haruka's friends' birthday, maybe Raeger.

"Nope, we're celebrating the end of Summer!" Haruka said excitedly.

"Why?" Klaus blurted out before he could stop himself. Who celebrated the end of summer? Was it a farmers' thing?

Haruka blinked twice before answering, "Because it's fun, of course." She looked at him with big eyes.

"Of course." Klaus echoed, not because he agreed or understood, but because those eyes of hers were bad for his heart.

Klaus needed an excuse to break eye contact, so he yawned and stretched. His limbs were stiff and sore, his body resented the position he had slept in. His joints popped freely, reminding him of just how old he was.

Haruka was watching him closely, as to not miss any move he made. The sudden attention made Klaus's stomach fill with uncomfortable butterflies. "So, a beach party, huh?" he asked, trying to divert Haruka's attention.

"RIVER party," Haruka answered without taking her eyes off him, she could multitask. "But yeah, it's pretty much like a beach party." She stared off into the distance, remembering all the activities she used to do with her family. "Baked corn, friends, swimsuits…" Haruka kept on talking of all the things that her beach parties consisted on, but Klaus had stopped listening at the 'swimsuits'.

"Swimsuits?" Klaus voice had an edge of panic in it. Did Haruka really expect him to wear a swimsuit? Did Haruka herself plan on wearing one?

"Yeah! You wouldn't want to enter the water in your coat, now would you?" her smile lit up her entire face, but Klaus could pay no attention to it. He could not wear a swimsuit. Of all the clothes in existence, he despised swimsuits the most. They were flimsy pieces of cloth that left nothing to the imagination. He could not wear something that showed so much skin, he could not let Haruka know…

"I do not think-"

"Come on! It'll be fun!" Haruka interrupted him, she seemed to know he was going to try to refuse. "I promise you'll have tons of fun. No, I don't promise, I will make sure of it!" Klaus could hear the determination in her voice. He wanted to accept, he really did, but he couldn't wear swimsuits, and he'd look weird without it.

"Haruka, I-" Klaus tried to explain, but was interrupted again by Haruka.

"I will not accept a no for an answer." She said stubbornly, "I will stay here until you say yes." She crossed her arms and gave a small huff. Klaus wondered if Haruka knew that was no threat at all, the more time she spent with him the better. They looked at each other, neither of them backing down.

"Do you not have chores to finish?" asked Klaus after minutes of their little staring contest.

"Oh, I have lots of important stuff to do." Klaus raised his eyebrows, if she had important stuff to do, then why was she wasting her time trying to convince him? "But this is more important." She smiled at him. Ugh, direct to the heart.

Klaus sighed, he needed to get Haruka back to work, "You should stop wasting time and finish your chores."

"Don't wanna."

"But-"

"No."

"Haruka-"

"Nope."

"Listen-"

"Not listening."

"FINE" Klaus shouted. Haruka's eyes were wide, if it was fear or surprise, Klaus didn't know. He just knew that he had just agreed to a so called 'river party' which involved swimsuits, young people, and sin.

Haruka threw her arms into the air, "Yay!" She hugged him tightly, and Klaus was glad she could not see his growing blush. "Meet me at the edge of the river in the afternoon, okay?"

She looked at him expectantly and Klaus could do nothing but sigh, "Okay…" he pouted. Haruka smiled at him again and left his house. She was in a hurry; perhaps convincing Klaus had taken more time than she had expected. She was probably going to go finish her chores and invite more people to the party.

Klaus stared at the ceiling. Just what had he agreed to. Not only was it a party that involved showing too much skin, but he had agreed to a party with Haruka. Ever since the fireworks festival he had been trying to put distance between them. He tried, he really did, but Haruka was making his job harder than it should. Didn't she see that he was just trying to protect her?

Klaus got up from his chair, stretching once again. He put on his coat and exited his house. He had agreed to the party, so he would need something to wear. There was no one else he would trust with such a task but Iris.


	12. A Confession

“I cannot believe I am doing this…” he mumbled as he knocked on the door that would surely lead to his death. Klaus waited, but nobody answered the door. He knocked again, this time louder. He resented Iris for making him be persistent about being treated like a doll. Nobody answered and Klaus succumbed to irritation, he knocked the door and didn’t stop knocking until an annoyed Mistel answered.

“WHAT” he said, his voice and expression cold. Mistel saw Klaus and his expression softened somewhat, but not enough to be considered ‘friendly’ “Oh, it’s you. Iris is not here.” Mistel said in an almost bored voice.

“How did you know I was looking for Iris?” Klaus’s annoyance disappeared in favor of his curiosity.

Mistel gave him a skeptic look, his usual expression. “Because a shrimp came to invite us to a ‘river party’ and I’m pretty sure she went to your house first. Which means you need something to wear, which means you’ve come looking for my sister.” Klaus was surprised that Mistel could deduce all his thought process from the fact that Haruka had invited them to her party. “She’s not here.”

“When is she coming back?” he asked. Klaus could not believe he would go as far as to wait for his own torture.

Mistel looked at him in surprise, apparently he didn’t believe it either. “Not for some time, I guess…” he told Klaus. After a small pause he added, “She is with Haruka.”

Oh, no. If Iris was with Haruka…No, his heart would surely not be able to bear what Iris would do to Haruka. His decision to go to the party seemed dumber and dumber by the second. “Thank you.” He told Mistel and turned around. He had done everything he could, if fate didn’t want him to go then he wouldn’t.

“You’re giving up, huh?” said Mistel’s voice behind him. “Guess I’ll just have to throw away what Iris left for you…” Klaus turned around and saw Mistel smirking. Mistel was playing dirty, he was not only preying on his desperation, but also on his curiosity.

“What did she leave for me?” he asked, playing along.

Mistel was glad Klaus took the bait, “You’ll have to use it.” He was trying to make Klaus commit, even if he didn’t know what he was committing to.

It was a risky choice, but Klaus would trust Iris with his life. “Okay.” He said, feeling a little uncertain with his decision. Okay, no. He wasn’t sure he’d trust Iris with his life.

“Come with me, then.” Mistel had a pleased expression on his face, perhaps he was happy Klaus trusted Iris so much, or perhaps he was as much a sadist as his sister, probably a little bit of both.

Klaus followed Mistel to the second floor, where Mistel and Iris lived. He took a deep breath, he liked how this room smelled. The very different scents of Iris and Mistel intertwined together, creating a pleasant smell. His own room was not so fun, a lot of the scents he used in his works lingered even after putting them away. So after a creating a difficult scent, his room ended up smelling like a marketplace, and not an appealing one.

Mistel opened Iris’s closet door, which was way bigger than Mistel’s, and walked in. “Aren’t you coming?” he asked when Klaus didn’t follow him.

Klaus looked at him, trying to keep his composure. “Ah, do give me a second, will you?” Klaus needed to mentally prepare himself to what was to come. He had never entered Iris’s closet; he’d always been too afraid. Iris’s closet was a thing of nightmares, rows and rows of dresses, blouses, shirts, skirts and pants. Not to mention piles of shoes that could kill you if they toppled over. Needless to say, he was a bit reluctant to go in.

“Sometime this century, I hope.” Klaus looked at Mistel, he was smirking. Klaus sighed and took a step forward. Mistel chuckled, amused at Klaus’s reluctance, and went deeper into the closet. Klaus followed him closely, he swore he could get lost in the world of clothes that this was.

Mistel stopped and pulled open a drawer, which gave Klaus time to look around. Why would one person need so many clothes? Iris could not possibly wear all of this, especially since she almost always wore her favorite dress. Klaus could see that some of the clothes were men’s, just why? Did Iris expect that one day she would wake up as a man, and she had all these clothes to prepare for that day? Or maybe, just maybe all the men’s clothes were for him… That could be a possibility, since Iris often bugged him to let her dress him up.

“Here,” Mistel threw the clothes at him, hitting him right in the face. Klaus grunted, he was getting annoyed. Mistel was being a little too rude to him. Klaus tried to glare at him, but his eyes were immediately attracted to the clothes he’d been given. He examined them, running his hands through the slippery fabric. Ah, Iris really knew him, didn’t she? “She always considers your special… _circumstances_.” Mistel said after a while.

“Yes, she does.” Klaus said absentmindedly. He was really in awe at the swimsuit, if he could even call it that. Rather than a traditional swimsuit, it resembled what surfers used. It was perfect, it would cover everything that needed covering. It was even his favorite colors, blue and black.

Mistel clicked his tongue, an annoying habit that Klaus didn’t appreciate. “She’s always thinking about what you’d like and what you wouldn’t like.” Klaus stopped looking at the swimsuit in favor of Mistel. What was he getting at?

“Yes, I know-”

“So don’t you _ever_ treat my sister like you did before the festival and go on living like nothing ever happened.” Mister glared at him, something Klaus was not accustomed to.

“I never-” Klaus tried to explain himself, but Mistel cut him off once again.

“Don’t you dare give me that!” Klaus jumped in surprise, he had never heard Mistel raise his voice before. “One day you tear Iris down, and the next day you come over like nothing ever happened! You expect her to forgive you without even apologizing to her.” Mistel paused, as if to try and calm himself. “The worst thing…The absolute worse,” he looked at Klaus directly in the eye, “is that she does. She forgives you without as much as an ‘I’m sorry’ from you.” Mistel sighed, closed his eyes, and pinched the bridge of his nose. He looked tired, apparently angry outbursts took a high toll on him.

Klaus stood there, quiet. Mistel’s words had made him think. As much as he didn’t want to admit it, Mistel had a point. Klaus had been awful to Iris before the Fireworks festival, but after his little encounter with Haruka he had come here and told Iris every single detail. They had talked well past midnight, and not even once had Klaus tried to apologize to Iris. Not that Iris had demanded an apology either, but she deserved better. Iris was too good for him. He would just have to add her to the list of people in his life he didn’t deserve.

“I…” Klaus started. Mistel slowly opened his eyes to look at him. His eyes were almost daring Klaus to continue with that sentence. Klaus was taken aback, but still pressed on, “I will properly apologize to her.” Mistel opened his mouth to answer back, probably something about that not being nearly enough, but Klaus spoke before he could. “I know I have been horrible to her.” Mistel stared at him in silence, and Klaus took the opportunity to continue. “I am not trying to justify my actions, but Iris has always been by my side, even when she should not have.”

Klaus thought back to all the times he had been in trouble. Whenever he was down, Iris was always there to pick him up. Whenever he needed encouragement, it was always Iris who would push him. Heck, Iris had even been the one responsible of getting him into the perfume business in the first place. He realized that without Iris he would be in a much darker place by now. His troubles with Haruka had driven everyone else away from his mind.

“I apologize, I…I have taken Iris for granted…” he mumbled, he’d said that, not for Mistel to hear, but for himself. He needed to realize that just like Haruka, Iris was not bound to him.

Mistel sighed, “Glad to know that you’ve finally noticed.” He rolled his eyes at Klaus, his expression much softer than before. “I apologize too, perhaps my approach was a bit on the violent side.”

“No, I needed that,” Klaus wanted Mistel to know he understood. “Thank you.”

Mistel paused for a second, thrown off by Klaus’s genuineness. “Ah, your welcome, then.” Klaus was grateful that Mistel had reminded him of the great friend he had in Iris.

“And thank you for this.” Klaus clutched the swimwear. It was a clear reminder of Iris’s good intentions. “I will thank her as well.”

“You better,” Mistel smirked at him, he was back to normal. “Now scram. I’m sure you need to prepare yourself for what is about to come.” Mistel winked at him and Klaus had to hide his blush. Ah, he had almost forgotten why he was asking for a swimsuit in the first place.

“I-I do not know what you are talking about.” Klaus said, his stammer stripping the words of the little conviction they had. Mistel laughed, but didn’t press the matter any further, just like his sister, he was perceptive. Klaus bid Mistel goodbye and left the house. He clutched the swimwear tighter to his body, thinking about how he would get Iris her favorite wine the next time he went to the city.

 

* * *

 

 

“I should not be doing this.” Klaus told himself for the millionth time. He was walking down the street in _simple_ clothing. He wasn’t wearing any of his fancy coats, nor any of his tailored pants. Instead, he was wearing a simple T-shirt, which he didn’t even know he owned, over the swimsuit Iris had prepared for him.

Klaus fidgeted uncomfortably. He felt naked without his multiple layers of clothing, how did other people do it? He was even wearing… _flip flops._ Klaus shuddered at the thought. He hated those things, they were the epitome of ‘not caring’, and Klaus cared, _a lot_. Mistel had delivered them to his house a short while after he had left his. Klaus had opposed at the beginning, but Mistel pointed out that he would look weird with a swimsuit and boots on. Klaus grudgingly agreed, after all, he would need all the help he could get to fit in.

He made his way through town, ignoring the curious glances from Veronica and the other residents. Klaus was sure his face was burning, and it had nothing to do with the sun. He quickened his pace, wanting to avoid being seen like that as much as possible. He finally reached the edge of town and spotted Raeger setting up some tables.

Raeger turned to look at Klaus, his eyes widening a little. “Ah, so Haruka did convince you to come.” He sounded amused, it probably was because of his appearance.

Klaus avoided eye contact, choosing instead to look at the different dishes Raeger was lining up. “Ah, yes. You should know she is…quite persuasive.” Something twitched in Raeger’s face, but Klaus was serving himself a drink, so he didn’t notice.

“You must tell me what she is baiting you with. It must be powerful; I have never seen you show some leg before.” Klaus choked on his drink. He turned to look a Raeger and saw that he was smirking. For the second time today, Klaus was taken aback. Why was everyone being so rude to him?

Klaus was about to retort when he heard his favorite voice in the world. “Catch!” Haruka screamed before very literally throwing herself at him. Klaus had barely enough time to put his drink down and catch her, but he did it flawlessly nonetheless. “You came!” Haruka said, still in Klaus’s arms. He looked at her, her eyes were too bright, and her smile too wide. Needless to say, it was too cute.

“I told you I would, did I not?” Klaus told her. The confidence in his voice not reflecting the internal struggle he had gone through not too long ago. Klaus hugged her, perhaps a bit tighter than friends were allowed to, but he didn’t hear her complain, so neither would he.

“Haruka, don’t run!” Iris said, jogging lightly to catch up. Klaus’s eyes snapped away from Haruka’s, Iris’s voice had reminded him that they were not alone. He slowly let Haruka go, inwardly chastising himself for getting carried away.

“I thought we said 5pm, it’s 5:30.” Raeger slapped Haruka on the head. Klaus, Iris and Mistel watched in surprise, none of them were aware of Haruka’s and Raeger’s close relationship.

“And I thought you said you wouldn’t be preparing any food, Cupcake.” Haruka smirked and Raeger flushed.

“I told you to stop calling me that…” Raeger muttered, which made Haruka chuckle. “Anyhow, I can take the food back if you’d prefer.” Raeger smirked at Haruka’s panicked face.

“You will not be taking any food away!” Nobody had noticed Fritz until he said that. He was approaching them, already shirtless and dripping water. “Not until I’ve had a bite, at least!” he told Raeger, who scooted away because he was still wearing his favorite apron. Fritz was not offended by this; he knew Raeger too well. “Hey guys!” He addressed the others, giving them a smaller smile than the one he directed at Haruka. “And hey you!” He took a hold of Haruka and spun her around like he had done earlier that day.

“Stop it! I haven’t changed yet!” Haruka screamed, with no real anger in her voice. Klaus raised his eyebrows at this exchange. Wasn’t Fritz being a little too…handsy? He was touching Haruka _waaaaay_ too much. An ugly feeling was creeping into his stomach. He had read about it in Iris’s novels before, but nothing Iris could’ve written could compare with the real thing.

“Hurry up then! The water’s perfect!” Fritz tugged at Haruka’s hand, taking her away from Klaus.

“Ah, you go on ahead. I’ll be right behind you!” Haruka freed her hand from his grasp and backed away a little. Fritz gave her an unconvinced glance, “I promise!” Haruka assured him.

Fritz was still unconvinced, but nodded anyways. “Don’t take too long!” He said before running towards the river and doing a cannonball, splashing Lillie and Angela with copious amounts of water.

Haruka turned around to look at Klaus, a mischievous smile on her face. “Let’s go!” She grabbed Klaus’s hand. “You guys coming?” She asked Mistel and Iris.

Raeger looked from Haruka to Klaus and then back again. He couldn’t let them be alone, they were much closer than he had anticipated. If he wanted Fritz to have a fair shot at his confession, he would have to keep them separated from each other. He took off his apron, “Yeah, okay.” He told Haruka while taking his shirt off. However, before he could fully take it off, a hand firmly grabbed his wrist.

“Ah, why don’t you two go on ahead. I still have to apply sunscreen on, and Raeger here is going to help me do just that.” Iris told them. Haruka quickly nodded and tugged Klaus away. Raeger tried to tell Haruka to stop, to tell her that he would go with them, but Mistel shouted a ‘Have fun!’, drowning his voice.

“What are you two doing?” Raeger asked, tugging himself free from Iris’s grasp.

“I was just _asking_ you to help me put sunscreen on.” Iris said with a sweet smile on her face.

“Yeah, help my sister put sunscreen on.” Mistel added. He was smirking, that cocky little smirk that he always had on. Raeger glared at both of them. He had been right to be wary of those two. They were totally team Klaus, which put Fritz and him at a disadvantage. Three vs two, how would he overcome those odds?

 

* * *

 

 

Haruka kept tugging at Klaus’s hand, guiding him towards the river. Klaus smiled, Haruka was so excited, how cute. She let go of his hands once they reached the river. “Let’s get in!” Haruka gave an excited squeal and started taking off her clothes.

“Of course,” Klaus adverted his eyes. Even though he knew that Haruka had clothes underneath, she was still a lady, and watching her undress felt like something forbidden. Instead, he took his own shirt off.

“Wow…” Haruka whispered. Klaus turned to look at what had captured her attention and was surprise to see that it had been him. Haruka was staring intently at him.

Klaus felt himself blush, Haruka must think he looked ridiculous. “Something wrong?” he asked to try and divert Haruka’s attention from his attire.

Haruka’s eyes snapped up to his, “Ah, nothing, nothing.” She was flustered, how cute. “I just noticed we match!” They matched? Klaus allowed his eyes to wander to Haruka’s swimsuit. She was wearing a one piece in the same colors as his. This was, without a doubt, Iris’s doing, and for the first time in the past couple of seasons, he felt grateful. Iris had taken Klaus’s personality and circumstances into account, not only with his swimsuit, but with Haruka’s as well. She wasn’t showing anything more than necessary, she looked almost modest. With her personality, he had been half expecting her to show up in something akin to what Lillie was wearing, but he was glad Iris had dressed her up.

“Hurry up!” Fritz shouted at Haruka from the river, earning him a dirty look from Angela, who was reading a book with her feet in the water.

“I’m coming!” Haruka shouted back, advancing towards the river. Klaus frowned, Fritz was being a little too familiar with Haruka, and he didn’t like that. A thought entered Klaus’s mind, if Fritz wanted Haruka to hurry up, then he would help her hurry up. In a moment of what later he would call ‘savagery’, he swept Haruka off her feet like he had done before, and threw her into the river. The look of surprise on Haruka’s face and the one of disbelief on Fritz’s, stirred something inside of him, something that made him want to laugh. He felt something similar to when Haruka and him were chasing the chicken. He felt alive like he had never done before, at least before he realized what he had done. He had just thrown Haruka into the river, hadn’t he? _Oh_.

 

* * *

 

 

The water was cold, perfect for fighting the remnants of heat from the summer. Haruka swam to the surface of the water and gasped, both because of lack of air and in surprise of Klaus’s actions. Had he really just thrown her into the water? Klaus, the one who thought she was made out of glass, had just thrown her into the river. She felt refreshed, and not only because of the cold water.

Klaus was standing at the edge of the river, an amused smile on his face. Haruka swam towards him and extended her hand. Klaus’s expression changed immediately, from amused to worried. He took her hand, but before he could pull her out of the water, she pulled _him_ into the water. Klaus had not expected this, so he easily lost his balance and fell, splashing Haruka.

He resurfaced a couple seconds later, the amused smile back on his face and Haruka let out a laugh. “I can’t believe you fell for that!” She splashed him. Her laughter was contagious, so Klaus laughed as well.

“I cannot believe you did that!” he retorted, splashing water in Haruka’s way.  An annoying little voice in the back of his head said that he had no right to complain, he had just _thrown_ her in the water not too long ago, but he ignored it.

They continued their bickering in the water. Mistel and Iris joined them, laughing at how childish both of them were acting. After a while Raeger, Fritz and the others joined in too. They had a good time, the wilder ones would play different games while the more reserved ones would enjoy watching them from the sidelines.

Eventually the sun set, and one by one left the river. Raeger was the first to leave, hurrying to start a fire and keep his precious food warm.

“Are you ready to go out?” Klaus asked after Haruka shivered for the second time in five minutes.

“Yes, please!” She answered, wishing nothing more than to join the bonfire Raeger had started.

“Wait here, let me get you a towel.” Klaus got out of the water and walked towards Iris, who was rummaging through her own bag. “Hey Iris, do you perhaps know where Haruka’s towel is?” he asked her.

“Mmm, I think she left her bag over there,” Iris pointed to a nearby empty stump. “Huh, I would’ve sworn it was over there.”

“If you’re looking for Haruka’s bag, I saw Raeger take it.” Said little Melanie, who happened to be near enough to hear their conversation. “He said Haruka had promised to bring his salt shaker back.” She finished and skipped towards the bonfire.

“I will go ask him, then.” He told Iris, who had her eyes narrowed, “Is something wrong, Iris?”

She sighed, “No, I don’t think anything’s wrong. Anyways, hurry and get her towel, she will need it.”

Klaus nodded and he walked towards Raeger, his steps a little quicker than normal. Raeger was placing some marshmallows on sticks when Klaus approached him. Raeger didn't seem surprised at his presence, it was as if he had been expecting him.

"Oh, hey Klaus." He said in an overly friendly manner that made Klaus raise his eyebrows given how rude he had been earlier. "What brings you here?" His skill in the kitchen was evident as he was keeping steady eye contact with Klaus while stabbing marshmallows skillfully.

"Ah, I was told you took Haruka's bag? I just need her towel, please." Raeger smiled, it was almost as if he had been expecting this too.

Raeger didn't stop his stabbing of marshmallows, "Ah, I think I did. I don't remember where I left it though."

"What do you mean?" Asked Klaus, confused.

Raeger stopped and tapped his finger to his chin, "I mean that I don't remember where I left the bag."

"I do not-"

"Ahhh, maybe I left it over there!" He pointed at a faraway tree that didn't seem to have been visited by any of the people here.

"Are you sure?" Klaus was unconvinced.

Raeger smiled at him, "Yeah, I remember now. It's just over there."

Klaus was unconvinced, but still nodded and headed straight to the tree. Klaus felt like it was almost as if Raeger was wasting his time, little did he know that that was exactly what Raeger wanted. Raeger looked at the river, where Fritz was already talking to Haruka. _Mission accomplished_.

"Hey Haruka, can I talk to you for a sec?" Fritz asked her. Haruka was still in the water, waiting for Klaus to come back with her towel.

Haruka was a bit surprised, she hadn't noticed Fritz was still there. "Ah, sure. What do you wanna talk about?"

"Not here, though. Come with me."

Haruka looked over at to where she had left her bag. "Ah, Klaus is getting my towel..." she trailed off. Klaus was nowhere to be found, and Fritz had apparently seen the same thing. "I..." she could hear the excuse in her voice. She wanted to stay, Klaus had told her to wait for him and she wanted to do just that.

Fritz rose from the water and walked to his own bag. He took out a bright orange towel, "Here," he offered Haruka. She looked at him, darn. It would be outright rude of her to reject him now. She rose from the water as well, took the towel and wrapped it around herself. Haruka shivered, she hadn't noticed how cold the air had gotten.

"Follow me." Fritz started walking without even checking if Haruka was following him. She had to slightly jog to catch up, his legs were longer than hers after all.

They walked along the river, side by side. Fritz was being weird, his movements were too stiff and the air around him too tense. What could be so important that Fritz needed to talk to her alone?

They were near the bridge, where was Fritz taking her? His farm? Giorgio's? She was still pondering about their destination when she noticed Fritz was not by her side. Fritz had stopped at the bridge, his face facing the ground. She went back, "What's wrong?" she asked, half hoping that what Fritz wanted to talk about was short and quick.

"Haruka, I-" Fritz stopped. He looked like he was thinking hard to find the right words to phrase what he wanted to say. The slight pause allowed Haruka’s attention to drift. She looked at the bonfire and saw Klaus talking to Raeger. The sight of Klaus brought a smile to her face. “See, um, lately I’ve found myself thinking about you a whole lot.” Haruka heard Fritz’s words, but her attention was with Klaus, he seemed upset. “I’ll see stuff and be like, ‘Haruka would love that’,” Klaus stomped away from Raeger, Mistel caught up to him, he seemed to be trying to calm Klaus down. “or, ‘I bet Haruka would get a smile from that’, and, um…I, uh…” continued Fritz, unaware of Haruka’s lack of attention. Mistel had apparently failed, since Klaus was stomping away from everyone and into the town.

“No!” she let out, surprising Fritz.

“But, I-I haven’t even-” Fritz stammered.

Haruka took off the towel and pressed it against Fritz’s chest. “Fritz, sorry. I have to go. Tell me another time, okay?” Haruka ran towards Klaus, not bothering to wait for Fritz’s answer, she was sure he would understand.

 

* * *

 

 

“Raeger, I get the feeling you are messing with me.” Said Klaus when he returned after the fifth trip to an abandoned tree.

“Klaus, I am offended that you would even say that!” Raeger touched his hand to his chest. “I just don’t remember where I put Haruka’s bag, I swear.”

“Ah, you mean this bag?” Mistel approached Raeger from behind and snatched Haruka’s bag from behind his cooking utensils where it was hidden.

Mistel handed Klaus the bag. Klaus could not believe it, Raeger had been sending him back and forth for the last ten minutes. Klaus glared at him. “Ah, so that’s where it was!” said Raeger with fake surprise.

Mistel smirked, “Raeger, sometimes I wonder if you’re getting dumber.”

“Well Mistel, sometimes I wonder if you’re getting shorter.” Raeger retorted, returning Mistel’s smirk.

Mistel was about to retort when Klaus raised his hand and spoke, “Where is Haruka?” He was clutching Haruka’s towel in one hand, and his eyes were scanning the meadow for her.

“I believe she is over there, with Fritz.” Raeger pointed at the bridge, where Haruka and Fritz were walking side by side. An invisible hand squeezed Klaus’s heart, “Romantic, isn’t it?”

“Shut up, Raeger.” Mistel glared at him, realization forming in his mind. Iris and him knew one of the two boys was after Haruka, and they could’ve sworn it was Raeger. Apparently, though, it seemed that both of them had been wrong. It wasn’t Raeger, it was Fritz! Mistel panicked, Iris and him had been keeping an eye on Raeger all evening. They had him under such surveillance that Fritz had been free to make his move without any of them noticing.

“What? Didn’t you know?” Raeger asked in false ignorance, “Fritz is head over heels for Haruka!”

Klaus didn’t turn to look at Raeger, he just kept looking at the pair from afar. “Is he, now…” he muttered, the hand tightening its grip on his heart.

“Yeah, don’t they make a cute couple?” Raeger continued, knowing full well the impact his words were having on Klaus.

“No, they don’t.” replied Mistel, eyeing Klaus nervously, “Haruka is too good for him.” He added venomously.

Mistel and Raeger glared at each other, neither backing down. Meanwhile, Klaus was just absorbing what they were saying. He wanted to agree with Mistel, he wanted to believe that no, Fritz and Haruka didn’t make a cute couple. But he could not deny the fact that they did look nice together. They had much more in common than Haruka and he did. Both of them were farmers, energetic, and most important of all, they were _young_. Fritz would not steal Haruka’s future, he would live it with her.

Klaus grimaced, he knew what the right thing to do was. He should back down, he should allow Haruka to be with someone who could make her happy. No matter what he desired, if he truly cared for her, he would do what was necessary for her wellbeing. Mistel and Raeger were still bickering in the background when Klaus turned around and started walking towards town.

Klaus would go home, and lock himself in till morning. He didn’t want any company, and he didn’t want to face Haruka, at least not anytime soon. Eventually though, he would learn to control himself. He would learn to smile when she smiled, and to laugh when she laughed, no matter how wrecked he was on the inside.

“Hey, I said stop!” Mistel said, grabbing Klaus’s arm. Klaus tried to shake himself free, but Mistel’s grip was surprisingly strong for someone his size. “Klaus, Raeger didn’t mean any of that, okay?” He didn’t mean what? The truth? “He just said that because he is Fritz’s friend, and he wants to help him. He shouldn’t have done that.”

Klaus stopped trying to free himself, instead he looked at Mistel right in the eye. “And is that not what you and Iris have been doing from the beginning?” he asked, his voice quiet. Mistel widened his eyes, perhaps he had not thought about that. “Is that not what you are trying to do right now?” Klaus used Mistel’s brief moment of weakness to pry himself free.

“This is different! She-” Mistel argued, an edge of desperation in his voice that Klaus hadn’t heard before.

“No.”

“But Klaus, she-”

“I do not want to hear it.” He glared at Mistel. It took a couple seconds, but Mistel recognized his defeat and took a step back. Unlike Iris, Mistel knew when to quit.

Mistel regained his air of superiority, “Whatever, then. Do what you want.”

Klaus didn’t answer back. He wouldn’t do what he wanted, he would do what was right. He took large steps to town, wishing to leave behind everything that had happened tonight. It was only when he was halfway to his house that he realized he had forgotten his shirt. Oh well, he was certain that Iris would pack it and bring it to him tomorrow.

Klaus kept walking, this time slower. He took deep breaths, and tried to reorder his jumbled thoughts. Ever since the fireworks festival he had decided to put distance between Haruka and him, but he had never really gone through with it.

Haruka’s constant visits and his need to protect her, had prevented him from creating too much distance between them. But now, now Raeger had given him an excuse. The excuse he needed in order to make himself stop seeking Haruka’s company. If Haruka had somebody else to protect her, then she no longer needed him by her side. It would be painful, sure, but it would be the right thing to do, and he had sworn to himself that he would always do the right thing.

Klaus heard light footsteps behind him. Ugh, couldn’t Iris wait until tomorrow to bring him his shirt? He turned around, “Iris-” he stopped. It wasn’t Iris who was behind him, it was Haruka. Tiny Haruka, with her red cheeks and bright eyes, was panting and standing in front of him.

“Hey,” she let out in between breaths. “Why are you leaving?” The tiny crease she wore when confused, formed on her forehead. “And without saying goodbye! Rude!” She said when Klaus didn’t answer her. She was trying to lighten up the mood with one of her jokes, it wasn’t working.

Klaus stayed silent, he didn’t trust himself enough to have a normal conversation with Haruka. He was angry but sad, about to give up but determined, his emotions were all over the place, and he didn’t know how to handle them. He wished Haruka would just leave, it would make giving up on her much easier.

“Hey, is something wrong?” she asked, her voice was worried, Klaus had never acted like this before. “Was it something Raeger said? Because if it was, I could talk to him if you’d like.” Haruka knew Raeger was not fond of Klaus, he often threw snide remarks about him while Haruka was around. Haruka tried to get him to stop, but that only had the opposite effect. “He’s usually nice, I promise.”

“No,” Klaus finally spoke. “Raeger did nothing wrong, he just shared some insight with me.” Haruka’s face flooded with relief, apparently she thought she had won.

“Great then, let’s go back!” she chirped. She extended her hand to take his, but he flinched away from her touch. It wasn’t like he had thrown himself backwards to avoid her hand, it had been a small movement, almost imperceptible, but Haruka had noticed. That little flinch froze her in place, something was wrong. “The problem’s with me, then.” She crossed her arms tightly over her chest. Klaus knew what that meant, she was bracing herself.

“There is not a problem-”

Haruka scoffed, “ _Suuuuuuure_ , and you didn’t just slap my hand away.” Her voice dripped with sarcasm. Klaus frowned, Haruka had a talent for exaggerating. “There is a problem, spit it out.” Her voice was firm, her words were not a request, they were a command.

“I assure you, there is no-” Klaus started, trying to end this conversation in peace.

Haruka frowned, Klaus was saying all the wrong words. “Klaus! I can’t help you if you don’t _tell me_!” Her voice was almost pleading.

Klaus took a deep breath, “I do not need your assistance-”

“We can work this out! Just talk to me!” Klaus was getting exasperated, if only Haruka would let him finish _one_ sentence.

“I am trying-”

“I want to help you!”

“If you would just let me-”

“You don’t have to do everything alone!”

“God! Shut up!” Klaus shouted. “You are so exasperating, woman!” Haruka had stopped talking, but he didn’t lower his voice. It had been years since he had shouted, and it felt _good._ Shouting was the release he desperately needed. “You keep digging and digging, not worrying about what you may find!” Haruka looked at him quietly, apparently too shocked to respond. “If you _need_ to know, there IS a problem!”

Klaus paused for a second, as he was searching for the right words he came to a realization. There was no way he would be able to keep his distance from her. No matter how much he ‘made up his mind’, the truth was that he was too weak. No, he would not be able to stay away, but _she_ would. Of course she would never stay away from him if he just asked, she was too willful. His chest tightened when he came to the realization, he would have to hurt her, hurt her _bad_. He would have to hurt her so bad, she would never want to come near him again.

“What’s the problem then?” Haruka asked when she was certain Klaus would not explode on her again.

He took a steadying breath. He knew he would later hate himself, but for now, he had a job to do. “The problem is you, Haruka.” Haruka frowned, but kept quiet, she wanted to hear his reasoning. Klaus racked his brain, he went through all the conversations he’d had with Haruka. If he was going to make her stay away from him, he needed her fears and insecurities. “The way you are always clinging to me…” Pause for dramatic effect, “is annoying.”

Haruka looked…unimpressed. What? "Is that the problem? Because I haven't heard you complain even once." She uncrossed her arms and approached him, "The thing is Klaus, that I know you don't find me annoying." Her face had an 'I know it all' expression that even Mistel would be proud of. "I know you enjoy my company.” Pause for a greater dramatic effect, “I know you like me." Haruka said with a confidence she didn't really feel.

Klaus wasn't one for cursing, not anymore, but right now he wanted to let vulgar words flow from his mouth. The cat was out of the bag, Haruka knew about his little _crush_. How had she discovered his affections? Had he been so obvious that she could state he liked her with such confidence?

Klaus was looking at Haruka, trying to make his face as stoic as possible, when he noticed something, Haruka's hands were trembling. He had seen Haruka's hands tremble multiple times, it always happened when she was uncomfortable or when she was...nervous. Why would Haruka be nervous? Klaus should be the one nervous, since Haruka knew- Something clicked in Klaus's mind. She didn't know, did she? She was just assuming he liked her based on whatever criteria she had, but she wasn't sure. Her confidence and bravado were all a cover up for the leap of faith she was taking.

Klaus looked at her, she didn't even know she had given him the weapon he needed. "Ah, I believe you are mistaken. I do not like you." His words had the desired effect, Haruka's face fell for a second. She opened her mouth to say something, but Klaus knew he should not let her talk. "I do not know why or how you arrived at that conclusion." Klaus wondered how long she could manage to maintain a composed face.

"No, but you-"

"No, nothing."

"But I thought-"

"You thought wrong." Klaus had a mad desire to laugh, their roles had reversed. It was usually Haruka who was interrupting him every three words.

"Klaus listen," she tried again, but was quickly interrupted by Klaus.

"I am listening, I just do not-"

"I like you!" She shouted, exasperated by Klaus's constant interruptions. She knew she was blushing, probably blushing more than she had ever blushed in entire her life.

Klaus stopped dead in his tracks, did Haruka just say she liked him? Klaus almost forgot how to breathe, how could this be? How could a nice young lady fall for a half man like him? What could she possibly see in him that made her go to such lengths?

"I like you, Klaus. And I'm pretty sure you like me as well. So, my question is," her face soften as she took a step forward and grabbed his hand. "What's stopping us?"

Her warm touch brought Klaus back from his thoughts. He had done it; he had tainted Haruka. He had imposed himself so much on her that she believed she had feelings for him. It was all his fault, all the mistakes he had made since meeting her had culminated here. He should mend his mistakes, no, he must.

He looked at Haruka, her sudden confession had given him the strength he needed to let her go. “What is stopping us?” He asked, his voice quiet. Haruka looked at him, eyes full of hope. “I will tell you what is stopping _us_. You seem to be under the delusion that I am somehow in love with you.”

Haruka frowned, “Why are you being difficult?” she shouted, clearly fed up with Klaus’s attitude.

“Am I the one being difficult? I am not the one shoving my feelings down someone else’s throat!” He raised his voice too. He was mad at Haruka for not understanding, she was making this ten times more difficult than it should.

“You are just trying to deny your feelings, and-”

“I am denying nothing! It is you who is assuming my feelings. It is you who is being difficult. And it is you, and only you, who has feelings for me.” Klaus tried to keep his voice steady as it was threatening to crack under his blatant lies.

Haruka was silent, but her face was still defiant. She was hurt, it showed, but she was not about to give up, _how cute_. Perhaps she was searching for the right words to retort, or maybe she was just silently mending the wounds Klaus had just inflicted, but the fact remained that she was still standing in front of him. He had not hurt her _enough_.

“Haruka…” he said, trying to ignore the fact that Haruka’s eyes were beginning to look a bit watery. “Why would I even fall in love with you? You are pretty enough, but I need someone who is more _mature_.” Klaus couldn’t even believe the words that were coming out of his mouth, “I need someone stable, someone who knows what she wants.”

He was tempted to say ‘Someone like Iris’ but he didn’t want to bring Iris into this mess. Klaus looked at Haruka, she was staring at the ground, silent. “I need someone who knows what she wants, not someone who is changing her mind with every passing minute!” Klaus knew the kind of effect his words would have in Haruka. He knew she was insecure, and he was targeting that. He had reached a new low.

“I need…” Klaus hesitated. Since Haruka wasn’t saying anything, he could not be sure if he had done enough damage. “All in all, Haruka, you are too immature, too childish. I mean, you cannot even keep a normal hair color for more than a week-” _Ouch_. The sound of flesh meeting flesh broke the quiet night. Klaus’s cheek hurt, yes, but the pain on his cheek was nothing compared to the pain in his chest when he noticed the tears streaming down Haruka’s cheeks.

He wanted to apologize, he wanted to tell her he had been lying, but Haruka was too fast for him. “The next time you talk to me like that,” her voice trembled with a mixture of anger, shame and betrayal, “I swear it will not be a soft slap you receive, it will be a punch.” Haruka turned around and stomped towards the river.

Klaus knew it was not the time to be thinking this, but he wondered how Haruka even considered that to be a soft slap. He watched her retreating back, the pain in his cheek prevented him from going after her and apologizing. He had done it, hadn’t he? He had managed to make Haruka hate him. He had prevented Haruka from wasting her life beside him. He won, right? Then why did he feel so empty inside?

 

* * *

 

 

Raeger stabbed another marshmallow with a stick. Operation ‘Help Fritz confess’ had been a disaster, and now Fritz was doing what he always did when he was depressed, eat. Raeger had not finished arranging the marshmallows when Fritz took the stick.

“They are not even roasted yet!” Raeger said, exasperated by his friend’s attitude.

“Doesn’t matter.” He let out in between bites. Raeger huffed, he didn’t like depressed Fritz. He wanted to shout at him and tell him to stop being so pathetic, but he figured he should give Fritz a mourning period.

“Here.” He gave Fritz the marshmallow bag, giving up entirely on roasting them. Fritz accepted the bag, and immediately dug into it.

Raeger looked around, the others were amicably chatting with each other, totally unaware of the little drama surrounding Haruka. He sighed, he had done everything he could to help Fritz. It hadn’t been enough, but he had at least tried. He wondered if Haruka and Klaus would come back, hand in hand, or if they would choose to go to a more private place to celebrate their new relationship.

He was still wondering how Fritz would hold out for the next few days, when he spotted Haruka coming from town, alone. She made her way towards them. Even in the light from the bonfire, Raeger could tell she had been crying.

When Haruka was close enough, Iris spoke. “Are you okay, dear?” Iris eyebrows were furrowed in confusion.

Haruka smiled at her, “Yeah, I’m fine.” Her voice was hoarse, and her smile a little too tight. Raeger was SURE she had been crying.

“Where is Klaus?”

“He went home.” Haruka answered in a voice too high to be normal. Iris was about to ask another question when Mistel elbowed her. Perhaps Mistel was better at reading people, or perhaps Iris just didn’t care, but with Mistel’s intervention Iris stopped asking questions.

Haruka looked around for a place to sit. There was a space next to Iris, but she chose to sit by Raeger instead. Raeger wanted to ask Haruka what had happened, he wanted to know why she had been crying, but he wanted to do so in private.

“Hey, I think I left something by the river, help me look for it?” he asked, hoping Haruka would take the bait.

“Huh? Sure.” Haruka seemed to be out of it, but she agreed nonetheless.

They stood up and went towards the river. Out of the corner of his eye, Raeger saw Mistel whispering something to Iris, who had a worried look over her face.

Once they were far enough, Raeger spoke. “You’ve been crying.” He stated, “Tell me why.” He wasn’t asking, he was ordering.

Haruka’s eyes widened, “I haven’t-”

“Don’t give me that. Your eyes are red, your voice is hoarse and you look like you’re trying too hard.” Haruka kept silent, probably to prevent her voice from giving her away. “Tell me why.”

“I…” Haruka hesitated. She trusted Raeger, but she didn’t want to voice what had just happened. If she told Raeger, she would not be able to pretend it had been a bad dream. It would make it too real.

“I’m gonna make a wild guess, and say it has something to do with Klaus. Am I right?” Raeger asked. Haruka stared at the ground, was she so easy to read? “You can tell me, you know…I’ll listen to you…” Haruka looked at him, Raeger was truly a great friend.

She told him everything, from the moment she met Klaus to the devastating fight they’d had. She told him how she had felt, what had been going through her head, and how she had been so sure…Raeger just listened, letting her speak the words that were hurting her, it was almost therapeutic.

When she had finished telling every little detail of the story Haruka let out a sigh. She felt drained, but she felt better than moments ago. She gave Raeger a weak smile, “Thanks, I needed that.”

Raeger returned her smile, “No problem, what are friends for?” he patted her on the back. Raeger was trying to keep his touch gentle, he was both angry and glad. Angry at Klaus for hurting Haruka, but also glad that he no longer posed a problem for Fritz.

They stood in silence. Raeger continued to rub circles on Haruka’s back until she spoke, “I’m gonna talk to him tomorrow, and I will sort this out.” Raeger look at him in surprise, she looked confident.

“What?!” he asked. Had he heard right? Was Haruka going to talk to him after everything he told her?

Haruka smiled, “I’m going to talk to him! I’m going to fix this!”

Raeger could not believe her. Why would she go after someone who hurt her, and ignore the perfectly nice guy she had in front of her? “Why would you even do that?”

“Because I like him!”

“He doesn’t like you!” Raeger shouted, knowing full well that his words were a lie. He knew Klaus was smitten with her, but if Klaus had already rejected her, it meant he had given her up.

“Small detail!” Haruka shouted back. “Plus, I didn’t say I would force him to go out with me…I just want our friendship back…” she added.

Raeger was beyond angry, “What about Fritz, then? Have you stopped to consider Fritz feelings?”

Haruka’s brows furrowed, “What about Fritz’s feelings?”

“Are you so dense that you haven’t even noticed how he looks at you?”

“How he looks at me…?” Haruka whispered, confused. She didn’t know what Raeger was talking about.

Raeger knew he shouldn’t tell her, he should wait for Fritz to properly confess, but Haruka was proving to be even denser than Klaus. “He likes you, Haruka! He likes you so much, and you won’t even let him confess!”

Haruka was taken aback. Like? Confess? _Fritz_? She looked at Raeger, who was looking quite exasperated, and thought back to her time living here. Most of her time she spent back on her farm, but a fair portion of it she had spent with Fritz. He had always been there to cheer her up after a long day, or take an improvised swim in the river. He had even played ‘avoid the sun’ with her, and let her pet his cow Cocoa. All in all, he was a great friend, but never had he mentioned feelings for her- Oh _,_ the _bridge_.

Haruka blushed. Fritz had tried to confess to her, hadn’t he? But he wasn’t able, she had left before he could finish. She had left to chase after Klaus. An ugly feeling of guilt spread through her. She was horrible!

Raeger saw the realization form on her face and he sighed. “You understand now? He was trying to confess and you ran off. Can you imagine how he feels?” Haruka stayed silent because yes, she could imagine how he felt. “Double what you’re feeling, and that’s probably how he feels. At least you got to confess.”

“I…I don’t know what to say…” Haruka responded truthfully. She didn’t know what to do, she had never had to deal with a situation like this.

“Well…” Raeger saw his opportunity, his last chance to give Fritz a shot. “For starters, you should let him properly confess.” Haruka nodded, she could at least do that. “And well…You could consider…” Raeger hesitated, he didn’t know how far he could push the situation. “going out with him.”

“Yeah, I could- Wait, what?” Haruka raised her eyebrows in surprise. Did Raeger just suggest she should go out with Fritz? “I’m sorry, I can’t possibly do that.”

“And why not?” Raeger asked, his voice a little angrier than he had intended.

“It would feel wrong…You know, me having been rejected and all…And suddenly going out…with someone else.” Haruka blushed and Raeger let a relieved laugh.

“Is that what you’re worried about? I’m sure it will be fine.” He assured her. It was nice knowing that she wasn’t opposed to the idea of giving Fritz a chance.

“I…” She paused for a moment, trying to put order to her jumbled thoughts. “I’ll tell him I’ll consider it, deal?”

“Deal” Raeger smiled, _mission accomplished_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am soooo sorry!


	13. The Aftermath

Haruka woke up, blissfully aware of the cool breeze coming from her window. It was a brand new season, but she was feeling awful, why? It took Haruka a couple minutes before she remembered why her eyes were puffy and why her chest felt a little tight.

The weight of everything that happened the day before fell on her stomach. Haruka rolled on her bed, she had zero desire of getting out of bed and going through her day. She wanted to stay in her house, isolated from the world and just cry. She wanted to cry her problems away, let the tears cleanse everything wrong in her life.

"I can't do that." Haruka told herself. As much as she wanted to have a pity party for herself, truth remained that she had a farm to take care of. A farm that kept her fed and happy. She could not afford to stay in bed any longer, it was the first day of the season after all.

Haruka willed herself out of bed and proceeded to get ready for the day. She put on durable clothes and tied her hair in a ponytail. She looked at herself in the mirror and stroked her hair. She recalled the words Klaus had said the night before. He had said he didn't like her hair, hadn't he? He had said she should wear 'normal' colors, but what was a normal color? Black? Brown? Wasn't green a normal color? It was everywhere! Trees, grass- She stopped looking in the mirror, she didn't want to feel sad any longer.

Haruka got out of the house and was immediately greeted by the cool breeze that only Fall could bring. She breathed in, this weather was just what she needed. She walked towards her fields, amused at how much a change in season could do to the scenery. Just the day before everything had been a violent shade of green, but now, orange and red seemed to be the predominant colors. She got her bags of seeds out and a gentle breeze caressing her face. Yeah, she liked Fall.

The sun was almost halfway through the sky when Haruka finished her work. Her fields were planted, fertilized and watered, and she had finished tending to Hanako and Bolt. She sighed in relief, even though her workload had increased from Summer, the weather wasn't weighting her down, so it was almost easier.

Haruka put down her watering can and headed towards Eda's farm. She looked around Eda's field, surprised to see nothing planted yet. "What…?" whispered Haruka, Eda was an early bird, and there was no way she had forgotten the start of a new season. Perhaps something happened to her? Haruka panicked, no, nothing could've happened to Eda, right? She rushed to Eda's home, shooting glances in every direction in case she spotted Eda on the fields.

Haruka opened the door to Eda's home with a little more force than usual. Her eyes landed on Eda, sitting on the dining room with a cup of tea in front of her.

"Hey there, dearie." Eda smiled at her and relief rushed through Haruka.

"Granny!" she breathed out, happy to see that nothing seemed to be wrong with Eda. Haruka rushed to her and wrapped her in a tight embrace.

"Ohoho," said Eda, returning the hug with enthusiasm. "Is something the matter, dearie?" she asked, gently patting Haruka on the back.

"I didn't see you outside! I thought something happened to you!" The desperation Haruka had felt moments ago hadn't completely left her voice yet.

Eda continued to gently pat Haruka's back. "There's nothing wrong, I'm feeling a little tired, is all."

Haruka slowly let go of Eda. "Do you need a hand? I can help you plant some seeds." She offered, mentally moving her schedule around to fit some time to help Eda.

However, Eda waved her hand dismissively, "No need, no need" she said. "I know you're busy, you have an extra field to take care of." Eda winked at her, obviously referring to the Spice Field Haruka had recently won from Eda. Haruka blushed, "It's okay, dearie. It will be better in your hands."

Haruka gave her a sheepish smile. She still remembered the day the Spice Field had become available. Haruka had gone to the Guild early in the morning to beat any other farmers that may have wanted the field. She thought that being there first would earn her the rights to the plot, but to her surprise, she had to enter a competition with her fellow farmers, including Eda, the owner. Haruka had struggled with herself day and night. She didn't want to take the field from Eda, but Elise had entered the competition too, and she was bound to win if Haruka didn't. It was only with Elise's defeated face in mind that Haruka won the competition, and with it, the field.

"Are you sure you don't need anything?" Haruka asked, looking around. Eda had not taken out her tools, was she planning to start the season tomorrow?

"No, but thank you for asking. Go on then, I'm sure you have a busy day ahead of you." She nudged Haruka towards the door. Haruka resisted a little, still thinking something was off. She finally gave up when Eda stopped nudging and was straight up pushing her to the door.

"Okay, okay. I get it. Promise you'll call for me if you need anything."

"I promise, I promise." Eda assured her. Haruka didn't want to leave Eda alone, but she really needed to get going if she was to water her crops again in the afternoon. Haruka bid Eda goodbye and stepped out. Haruka hurried down the trail that led to the Rental Fields. She would plant her new Chili Pepper seeds, go to the Trade Depot and talk to Asche, eat at Raeger's restaurant and maybe even… No. Today was a happy day, she wouldn't torture herself and go visit Klaus, of course she wouldn't. Haruka shook her head as if to physically expel the thoughts from her mind.

Haruka strolled through town, breathing in the scents that Fall brought with it. She really liked the season. It was colorful, cool, and was arguably the most profitable season. It was also the time for tasty food, and that was a big plus. Haruka walked and let her mind wander. What kind of delicious dishes would Raeger be able to make? What kind of crops would the new trader Veronica had told her about bring? What kind of- Her feet stopped. Haruka looked around, confused when she didn't see Raeger's restaurant until she realized she wasn't anywhere near Raeger's.

Haruka's breath caught in her throat. She was in front of Klaus's house. Why? Why would her subconscious do that to her? Perhaps it was out of habit? Haruka looked around, she was alone. She could go, leave before unnecessarily hurting herself again. But then again, she could also take this opportunity and mend their friendship. Ah decisions, decisions.

What should she do? Haruka thought for a minute before throwing all reason away and reaching for the doorknob. Screw it, right? Whatever happens, happens. Seize the day and whatnot. Her hand touched the knob's smooth surface and she turned it.

_Click_

Ah…Locked. How very unfortunate. The anticipation she had been feeling disappeared as fast as it had appeared, leaving sadness in its stead. This was no accident, Klaus never locked his door. He really didn't want to see her, did he? Haruka briefly considered knocking the door down when she remembered where being pushy had landed her. Perhaps she should leave and try again tomorrow.

Haruka turned around, half expecting to find Klaus behind her, but there was no one. She sighed, before everything happened, she would find Klaus in the most unexpected places, but now she was alone. She walked to the Trade Depot, the weight of finding the door closed made her drag her feet. There was something devastating in finding the door that 'will always be open for you', closed.

The Trade Depot was looking grander than ever. Now that three countries had agreed to trade with the town, there were more people wandering around town. Haruka approached Asche's stall.

"Well someone's in a bad mood." Asche told her and Haruka smiled, Asche knew how to put her in a good mood.

"Is that why everybody was avoiding me?"

"You look about ready to kill someone." Asche paused, "Something you want to talk about?" she asked with raised eyebrows.

A warm fuzzy feeling filled Haruka, Asche was such a good friend. "Nah, nothing important. Anyways, have anything-" Haruka stopped abruptly.

"Anything…?" Asche offered, confused as to why Haruka would suddenly stop talking. When Haruka did not respond she added, "Are you okay…?" Once again Haruka didn't answer. She was staring directly behind Asche. "Haruka you're scaring me!" She snapped her fingers in front of Haruka's face.

Haruka jumped a little, startled. "What? Don't do that!"

"You were not responding!" said Asche angrily.

"Oh, sorry, but…" Haruka lowered her eyes and blushed.

Asche was confused by Haruka's actions. "But what?" She looked behind her to the place Haruka was looking, but she saw nothing out of place. "What were you looking at?" she asked, curious and a little bit scared that Haruka had seen a ghost or something like that. Haruka mumbled something that Asche didn't catch. "Come again?" Haruka mumbled again, irritating Asche. "Louder!"

"YOUR CAT IS VERY PRETTY!" Haruka shouted, effectively attracting every pair of eyes in the Depot. Haruka turned into a tomato and hid her face behind her hands.

The cat? Asche turned around and saw the cat Haruka had referred to. The cat was lounging on top of her precious new carpet. "Get off!" she hissed at it, but the cat did not move. The cat glared at her and Asche glared back. She didn't like the cat at all, it had brought her multiple problems with customers.

All the past owners of the cat had bought it because it looked beautiful, even Asche admitted to that. The problem with the cat was that, well, it was lazy. Cats are supposed to forage items for their owners, but this cat would just laze around all day, prompting all past owners to return the cat and demand their money back.

"Don't shout at her!" pleaded Haruka. The way she was looking at the cat made Asche want to vomit, Haruka really was too expressive.

"Ugh, I will stop yelling at it if you stop making that face." Haruka nodded and straightened her face with some difficulty. Asche rolled her eyes at Haruka, "Really now…And it's a 'he'." She added absentmindedly. Suddenly, and idea struck her out of nowhere. What if she sold the cat to Haruka? Haruka seemed to have a strange attraction to animals no one else wanted, Bolt being the living proof of that. "Haruka…" Asche turned to look at her, "would you like to buy the cat?"

Haruka's eyes widened, and for some reason, her blush deepened. "I…" she hesitated, "I- No, I can't." She closed her eyes in a pained expression.

"Haruka, please. I'll give you a friend discount!" Asche's voice was a little more desperate than usual, which confused Haruka. She almost sounded like the time she had been talking about Bolt.

"No, I can't." Haruka repeated, longingly watching the cat stretch.

Asche huffed in exasperation, "Why? Tell me one good reason you don't want the cat."

"I-I'm a dog person." Haruka stammered, the lie in her words evident.

Asche rolled her eyes, "No, you're not. You're an _animal_ person. Tell me the real reason." Haruka looked at Asche, who was shorter than her, and sighed.

"My…my mother doesn't like them…" she finally confessed. It was true, Haruka was an animal person, but there was something about cats that had always intrigued her. Cats seemed to live by their own set of rules, never abiding by their owner's commands. They were also some of the prettiest animals out there. However, Haruka's mother had never been fond of cats, she preferred dogs. So whenever Haruka expressed her feelings of having a cat, her wishes were struck down by her mother.

"So what?" Asche's voice brought Haruka back from her memories. "You're a grown woman, I think if you want to own a cat you should." Asche's words were coming from both her desire to get rid of the cat and her friendship with Haruka.

Haruka pondered for a moment. Asche did have a point, she was a grown woman. A grown woman living by herself and running an ever growing farm. If there was anyone who deserved to have a cat, it was her. Another 'seized the day' moment came over her and she said, "You know what? Yes, I'll buy the cat!"

"Yeah! That's the spirit!" Asche pumped her fist into the air in celebration. Asche reached for the cat and put it in the little palm cages she used to transport her animals. "Here," she handed Haruka the basket, "all yours."

In exchange Haruka handed Asche the money, ignoring the 'friend's discount' because she found it amusing that Asche had been desperate enough to actually say 'friend's discount'. "Thanks!" Asche laughed, the look on Haruka's face of endless wonder lit the entire Depot up, not the she would ever tell her that.

Haruka headed straight home after that, not really in the mood to talk to Raeger anymore. She took her new cat home, spending most of the way home thinking about the possible names she could give the cat. Haruka was very excited about this, she had been looking forward to giving her livestock names that fit. Hanako had been gifted to her by Eda, and Bolt's name had been Klaus's idea, so the cat would have the honor of being the first animal Haruka had ever named.

Kevin? Too normal. Piper? The cat was male. Oh! Inspiration struck her out of nowhere and she knew the perfect name for her cat. _Pumpkin_. Haruka smiled at herself, it was genius! The cat was plump and had almost ginger fur, it fit it perfectly.

"Let's go home, Pumpkin!" she told the cat as she quickened her pace, she couldn't wait to introduce the cat to Eda.

* * *

A day passed, then two, then three, and before Haruka knew it a week had come and gone. Her schedule was packed, but she still found time to go to Klaus's house and try the doorknob only to find it locked every time. She could swear a little part of herself died with every little _click_ she heard. She sighed, how long would Klaus be avoiding her?

"Have you tried knocking?" a voice behind her said. Haruka quickly turned around, her face pinker than it should.

"Ah, Iris." Haruka sounded almost disappointed. "What are you doing here?" She wasn't really in the mood to talk to Iris, she was just trying to make polite chitchat before running away.

"The same thing as you…" Iris looked at the door, a pained expression on her face. Seeing Iris worry so much about Klaus made Haruka feel uncomfortable. "Unlike you though," Iris said, reaching for a pocket Haruka had never seen. "I have this!" She exclaimed, retrieving a key from inside the pocket.

Haruka was dumbfounded for a second, "What's that?"

It was a dumb question, but Iris, being the lady she was, settled for looking politely amused. "It's a key, darling." Haruka opened her mouth, but Iris anticipated her question and answered it before she voiced it. "To Klaus's house."

Haruka's eyes widened. A key to Klaus's home? Iris smiled down at her, clearly thinking that Haruka would be overjoyed to finally be able to talk to Klaus. Haruka's thoughts, however, were not going in the direction Iris expected. Haruka's thoughts were going in a much darker direction.

"I'll lend you-" Iris said.

"What do you mean 'unlike you'?" Haruka asked, glaring at Iris.

"Ah…What?" Iris asked.

"You think you're better than me because you have a key to his house?" Haruka's anger was raising by the second. Who did Iris think she was? Just because she had a key to Klaus's home and a way of talking to him, she thought she'd come to gloat. Iris looked at Haruka, she was clearly surprised at Haruka's outburst.

"No, you misunderstand-" Iris tried to say but Haruka interrupted her.

"Whatever." She said with a very sour tone. Haruka turned around and stomped away, ignoring Iris's desperate 'Wait!'s. Haruka was fuming, so angry in fact, that she barely even returned the greetings people directed her way. She stomped all the way to the Depot, glaring at everything in her way.

* * *

Asche watched Haruka come her way. The smile she had prepared for her friend disappeared when she noticed Haruka's expression. "Something wrong?" she asked.

"I need dye." Haruka said, not bothering to answer Asche's question.

Asche stood there, silently debating whether to press the issue further or to give Haruka what she wanted and wait for her to explain. She analyzed the situation, Haruka was rarely mad, so whatever happened must've been important. "Yeah, okay." Asche reached underneath her counter where she kept the special good for the special clients. "What color?" She asked, sorting through the array of bright colors Haruka usually picked from.

Haruka picked one, "This one.", threw some gold on the counter and stomped away.

Asche watched her go, the events that had just happened confused her to no end. Why would Haruka be mad? Why would she dye her hair again so soon? And why would she pick that color?

* * *

Haruka threw the door open, scaring Pumpkin who had been lounging under a cabinet. "I'll show them!" she screamed as she violently pulled drawers open in search of everything she needed to dye her hair. Her head was filled with so many angry thoughts that she couldn't properly concentrate, so she did the only other possible solution, she pulled the drawers out of te cabinet, turned them upside down and let the contents freely fall on the ground. "Aha!" she exclaimed, having finally found what she was looking for. She kicked the bathroom's door open and disappeared inside.

Meanwhile, Pumpkin watched his owner throw her tantrum from the confort of Haruka's bed. He stretched his stubby legs and laid on is side. Every now and then he would hear Haruka's voice saying something like "How dare she!" or "Who does he think he is?" followed by loud clanking and things falling. As the minutes passed, the bathroom grew quieter.

After a solid ten minutes of silence, soft sobs came from the bathroom. Pumpkin got up and went to investigate. His owner was crying and he didn't know why. What reason could she have to cry when he managed to bring home TWO twigs today? Pumpkin enter the bathroom quietly, only to find Haruka on fetal position and crying her eyes out.

"Meow" he called. Haruka raised her head and gave Pumpkin a small smile. She extended her arms and Pumpkin rushed to her, he loved hugs! Haruka hugged him tight and buried her face in his fur.

"Only you understand me..." Pumpkin purred, he didn't really understand what his owner was saying, but her warmth breath on his fur felt nice.

They stayed like that for a while, Haruka crying and Pumpkin offering his presence as moral support. It took a while for Haruka to calm down, but as the minutes passed she realized how impulsive she had been. Once she had cried herself dry, she got up and looked at herself in te mirror.

"This is not gonna come off so easily..." she mumbled to herself as she took a strand of hair. Her hair was damaged, the result of rushing the process.

"Meow" Pumpkin said, rubbing himself in between Haruka's legs.

Despite her foul mood, Haruka smiled. "Maybe I should adopt a ton of cats and become a cat lady." Pumpkin purred again and Haruka picked him up. "This is getting depressing, let's go." Haruka said. She opened the bathroom door again, this time like a normal, sane person. She took one last look in the mirror, and left the bathroom, saying a silent goodbye to her colorful former self.


	14. Back to Life

Today was the day. Iris took a deep breath and squared herself, today was the day she got Klaus out of the bed. She would've said 'out of the house', but just talking to Klaus in bed was proving to be quite challenging, so baby steps, baby steps. Her steps had a determined spring to them, carrying her through the small distance between her house and Klaus's in a matter of seconds.

Iris stopped in front of the door and looked around. The street was deserted, most of the residents were having lunch with their families by now. However, Iris was not looking around for other people, she was looking for Haruka. The last time Iris had seen Haruka was last week, when she had found her in front of Klaus's house. Iris felt a pang of guilt, Haruka hadn't come around since that day, and Iris felt it had been because of her. She sighed, she would have to fix that later, but for now, Klaus.

Iris reached for the doorknob and turned it. She heard the now too familiar clicking sound and frowned. Locked again, huh? She knew it would be locked, as it had consistently been for the past two weeks, but she had hoped. She reached for her key and unlocked the door, wondering just how much Klaus regretted having given her a key.

The house was as dirty and unkept as she had left it not too long ago. Ugh, Iris couldn't believe Klaus had crumbled like this. Mistel had told Iris the reason why Klaus had left the party, but she didn't really know what had happened after that. She could imagine, though, she knew most of Klaus's insecurities, so she could fill in the blanks. Still, Iris couldn't believe how hard this had affected Klaus, he had already missed two of his deadlines, and was on his way to miss a third. Iris had told herself she would allow him to grieve as much as he needed, but she never imagined that Klaus would take so long as to affect his work, she had to step in.

"Klaus?" she called out of habit, she knew he would not answer back. She went to the kitchen, she had done the dishes the last time she had been here, so she expected there to be a lot more plates, but there were none, was Klaus not eating? She was immediately filled with worry, what if something happened to him? Iris rushed to the bedroom, already planning everything she would do if she found Klaus unconscious on the floor.

Iris reached the bedroom in no time at all, almost tripping twice on her own feet. The bedroom was extremely different from the last time she had been here. Clothes, dishes and trash littered the floor, leaving little space to actually step on. The curtains were tightly drawn, and Klaus was…somewhere, probably under the covers.

"Klaus." Iris called from the edge of the room because she wasn't sure she could make her way to the bed. "Klaus!" She called again, louder this time. When she received no response she let out an exasperated sigh. "Really now…" she murmured as she grabbed handfuls of cloth, lifted her dress, and carefully stepped on the little patches of floor that could still be seen.

Three times she heard something break, inwardly cringing at the thought that it could be something important. Iris approached the bed with difficulty and saw that it was in no better state than the floor. "Enough is enough!" she yelled as she yanked the covers from the bed. Bags of chips and candy wrappers flew through the room as she uncovered both Klaus and a strong smell of alcohol. "Ugh!" she grunted, covering her nose to avoid the smell.

"Stop it!" said Klaus, his voice was rough as if he had not used it for quite a long time. He tried to grab the blankets from Iris's hands, but his movements were slow and uncoordinated.

"So you were awake! Why didn't you answer me?" Iris frowned, Klaus looked...well...Not like Klaus at all. His hair was disheveled, his pajamas were a mess and he had bags under his eyes. There wasn't even the slightest trace of the man who always went out of his way to look like a perfect gentleman.

Klaus groaned, "I do not want to talk." His voice was filled with a finality that would make any other person drop the subject and leave, too bad he was talking to Iris.

"You don't need to talk; you only need to get out of bed." She said, walking over to the closet, not even caring about the trash on the floor anymore. She rummaged through the closet, "Come on, get up."

"Do not feel like it." Klaus said, his voice muffled by his pillow.

Iris gave a dry laugh, "I don't remember asking if you felt like it." She picked some clothes and threw them at Klaus.

He grunted, why was Iris being so persistent? "Iris I do not-"

"Klaus," she said, effectively shutting Klaus up. He knew that voice, Iris was angry. "I said, get up." She enunciated every syllable slowly and carefully. Klaus's instinct told him that it would be dangerous to oppose Iris, so he nodded. "Good, take a shower, shave, get dressed, and I'll see you at the dining room." She left without another word to him.

Klaus sighed, just why did he give Iris his house key…? He got up, and headed towards the bathroom. His movements were slow and lazy, resembling the movements of a child when he is told to get ready for school. He undressed slowly, debating in his mind if keeping Iris happy was really worth all this trouble.

The warm water felt nice on his skin. How long had it been since he'd taken a shower? Hours? Days? Weeks? He didn't know, he had stopped measuring the time in days and started measuring it in how many cup noodles he'd had. He stayed under the water longer than usual, just enjoying the sensation.

He got out of the shower, toweling his hair dry. Okay then, what else had Iris said? Oh yeah, shave. He touched his face with his hand and was surprised when he felt traces of stubble along his jaw. He hurried to the mirror with a sort of confused excitement, it had been too long since he had seen himself without a clean shave. Klaus wiped the steam from the mirror and stared at his face. He looked…well, awful. His eyes had a sort of 'dead' feeling to them, he had bags under his eyes and his stubble completed the 'I don't care anymore' package.

The shock of his appearance brought part of him back to reality. When had things gone so bad? He took his razor and started to work. He really had let himself go, hadn't he? He remembered coming home after his little 'incident' with Haruka. He also remembered going down a spiral of self-loathing, depression, cup noodles and other junk food. Ugh, he didn't even like junk food that much.

The razor hugged his skin with every stroke, leaving nothing but a smooth surface behind. He liked shaving, along with different pleasant smells from shaving cream and after shave, came a sort of 'dead' time. A time where the only thing he could think of was the razor on his skin. He had to concentrate really hard on every movement, and that left little time for his thoughts to wander to unpleasant places. Once he had finished shaving, he surveyed himself on the mirror. His hand touched his face and met the soft skin underneath, perfect.

Klaus dressed up, enjoying the fact that he was wearing cleans clothes once again, and got out of the bathroom. His jaw dropped when he saw his room, there was trash everywhere! How had he managed to live all this time in these conditions? Depression was a dangerous thing. He headed towards the kitchen, choosing to ignore the mess he had in his room, he would clean that later.

The smell of cooked food captured his attention and his stomach growled, Klaus hadn't even noticed how hungry he was! He settled on the dining table and waited for Iris to finish cooking. "What is for breakfast?" he asked, trying to keep the conversation friendly.

"Lunch, you mean?" She said, in a similar voice Klaus had used. Ah, they were both trying to be careful of each other.

Klaus disliked that, the point of having a friend like Iris was to never be careful of each other. He decided to push the boundary a little, "Lunch, breakfast, does it really matter?" he said in a dejected voice. His words caught Iris attention, who stopped stirring the soup in favor of shooting him a worried glance. Klaus couldn't help but laugh at her, that was so cute.

"It's not funny, Klaus!" She responded, glaring at him. How could he make jokes like that? Didn't he realize the shock she had gone through when she found him like she did?

Klaus looked at her, a little smile playing on his lips, "It is a little bit funny." He chuckled.

Iris wanted to smile. She was glad her friend was finally returning to the one he used to be, but she couldn't give in just yet, she was supposed to be mad! "It is not funny watching you throw away your life."

Klaus frowned, "Come one, are you not being a little too dramatic?" he asked. He didn't really think holing up in his room for a couple of days was enough to be categorized as 'throwing away your life'.

Iris removed the soup from the fire before turning to face him. "Too dramatic? TOO DRAMATIC?" she shouted, giving Klaus the impression that yes, she was being too dramatic. "Klaus, you've been here for more than two weeks! That's half a season! So forgive ME for trying to stop you from throwing away your life!" Iris exploded. It seemed like she had been wanting to say this for a long time.

Klaus's eyebrows rose, "What?" Had Iris just said half a season? "What day is today?" he asked, totally at loss.

"Fall 14?" her answer sounded more like a question. "You even missed my brilliant performance in the Fashion Show..." she muttered.

Klaus had to suppress a laugh, so that was the reason Iris had been so determined to get him out of bed. Still, he couldn't believe it was already Fall 14, where had all the time gone? Sometime during his pity party, he had lost absolute track of time. "Wait! My deadlines!" he panicked, he had already missed TWO deadlines with no explanation whatsoever! "I have to call my clients." He abruptly rose from the table and headed towards is bedroom.

"Klaus, calm down." Iris told him, "I've already talked to them, you have an extension until the end of Fall." She added calmly, neatly pouring the soup into plates. "Really now, being depressed for so long is only a luxury rich people can afford."

"Oh..." he said, lowering himself again. Iris really looked out for him, didn't she? She had gone so far as to talk to his clients so that he didn't lose points with them. "Thank you." He seemed to be telling her that a lot these days.

"What do you mean 'thank you'? You owe me." She put the plate of soup in front of him. Ah, bouillabaisse, she was spoiling him.

Klaus smiled, "Yeah? What do I owe you, then?" He felt like they were going back to normal, perhaps they had just needed to let out a little steam?

Iris laughed, crisp, cheerful and real. "I was just joking."

"Do not give me that. You can ask for anything, Iris. Anything you want." He offered, and he meant it. He would give Iris the stars if he could. It was not every day that you meet someone who will stick with you through thick and thin.

She chuckled, "Ah, well, if you insist." She pondered for a few seconds before looking at him straight into is eyes, "Get better, then." Klaus started thinking that he would not live long enough to express his gratitude towards Iris. "Let's eat."

* * *

"How did it come to this...?"

"I'm not the one who did this mess, so I don't. Come on, keep cleaning." Iris told him. Klaus sighed, picking up a bottle of empty wine and putting it inside a trash bag. "You drank so much..." she murmured. Klaus looked around and noticed the multiple bottles of wine. He didn't remember drinking that much, but he did remember waking up a lot, so perhaps he had blacked out. A shameful feeling enveloped him, he had drunk so much to make himself black out, how disgraceful.

"Ah well, let us not talk about that." He said while a small blush spread on his face. Iris got the hint and didn't press the issue.

They continued cleaning, one bag of chips at a time. "Where did you even get this much junk food? You don't even like junk food..."

Klaus wiped sweat off his forehead, "Ah, Marian gave them to me." He vaguely remembered the eccentric doctor coming to his house with an enormous basket of what he called 'comfort food'. 'It'll make you feel better', Marian had told him, immediately followed by a quick 'Please don't tell anyone I gave you this'. Klaus hadn't understood what he meant at the time, but now he could see that it would damage the doctor's reputation to be prancing around giving unhealthy food to anyone who needed it. "I did not really feel like cooking, so I ate most of it." Klaus looked around, it really had been a lot of comfort food. He couldn't believe he ate so much, perhaps that was why he felt so heavy.

The bags of trash filled one after the other, and soon, they could see the floor beneath. Iris mopped the floor while Klaus changed the sheets, they really made a great team. They continued their cleaning until late into the day. Klaus yawned and stretched, everything ached. It had been so long since he had even gotten out of bed.

"Tired? Should we take a break and continue tomorrow?" Iris asked, stretching too.

Klaus hummed and surveyed the room, it almost looked as clean as usual. "Sure, let us continue tomorrow." He put the dirty sheets in the laundry basket, which was now overflowing, and sat on his bed. Cleaning so much had tired him a lot more than he would be willing to admit. Perhaps his past irregular sleep schedule played a part in his tiredness too, but it was mainly the cleaning.

"Shall we go somewhere for dinner…?" Iris asked tentatively, watching Klaus closely as if to guess his answer from his expression. She knew she was pushing it, but she had already gotten Klaus out of bed, the next step was to get him out of the house.

"Sure," Klaus answered with a smile, dining out sounded like a great idea. Iris's cooking had reminded him how good normal food tasted. "Where shall we go to?"

Iris's eyes widened, "Really?" she blurted out. She was astounded that Klaus had given up so easily. She cleared her throat and composed herself. "I mean...Sure, yeah. Let me think about it." She thought for a moment, she hadn't really expected Klaus to say yes, so she had planned absolutely nothing. "How about Raeger's-" She realized her mistake a second too late.

Klaus's whole body went stiff, and the warm fuzz that had settle in the room froze. Iris stayed quiet, scared that she might make the situation worse. She mentally prepared her apology, waiting for Klaus's response. "Ah...I, yes. Let us do that."

"Klaus, I'm so sorry-" she started, but stopped once she registered Klaus's words. "Wait, what?"

Klaus stood up and smiled down at her, "I said, let us do that."

"Why?" she blurted out again. She really needed to stop saying the first thing that came to her head.

Klaus sighed, why indeed. The truth was, he was a bit of a masochist, and a little bit more of a hypocrite. It's not like he wanted to go to Raeger's and eat his cooking, however excellent it may be. He wanted to go to Raeger's because it was the most probable place Haruka might be. It wasn't logical, he knew. After all, it had been him who had holed up in his room for two weeks to avoid her, but now that he had come to his senses, he wanted to see her. Even when he had sworn himself to put distance between them, he needed to see her, make sure she was okay, even if it was from afar.

"I-" Klaus hesitated for a moment, debating whether to tell Iris about his real feelings or not. He looked at her, the woman who had, just a few hours ago, reached out to the hole he was in, grabbed him, and pulled him out. He didn't know what he did to have such a wonderful woman by his side, the least he could do was be honest with her. "I need to see her." He finally said, a small blush spreading across his cheeks.

Iris frowned, "Are you sure?" She asked, crossing her arms across her chest.

"Ah, you do not approve." Klaus smiled, how very Iris of her to try and protect him from further harm. "I can assure you I am okay." He said, and for the first time in weeks, he meant it. He was feeling great, apparently his two weeks of self-pity had thrown out all the sadness in him. "I just need to see how she is doing."

Iris sighed, but smiled. "You truly are something..."

"And when have I not?"


	15. Pumpkins

"I'll have a pumpkin croquette, a pumpkin pudding, and a pumpkin spice latte." Haruka said without looking at the menu.

Raeger rolled his eyes. "If you at least looked at the menu, you would notice that there isn't even anything called 'Pumpkin Spice Latte'. Plus, the Pumpkin Croquette was for Summer, not Fall."

Haruka looked at him with puppy eyes, "Aw, come on! Pretty please?" she pleaded, Raeger was not amused. "With a pumpkin on top?" she tentatively added after her 'pretty please' had gotten no response. Raeger felt himself snort before he could help himself. "Ah! I win!" Haruka exclaimed, pumping her fist into the air.

Raeger rolled his eyes but smiled anyways. "Only for today, okay? Just imagine if everyone ordered whatever they wanted, like you…" he said, shuddering at the simple thought.

Haruka nodded, "I promise." She said, not meaning it at all. She would definitely come back tomorrow and ask for a Spring specialty.

"What's with the pumpkin obsession anyway?" Raeger asked, prepping everything he needed to make Haruka's dish.

Haruka looked at him, wide-eyed, "What do you mean? Because it's Fall, of course." She said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Raeger stopped his chopping of pumpkin to look at her, "I don't think I follow. What does a season have to do with your obsession with a crop?"

"Well…Because pumpkins grow in Fall…?" her answer sounded more like a question.

"So what? Sweet Potatoes also grow in Fall, why not obsess over those?"

"Because…" Haruka started, but couldn't really finish her thought. Why did Fall make her obsess over pumpkins? She didn't even like pumpkin that much.

"You don't know, do you?" He asked, a small smirk playing on his lips.

"Shu-shut up." She stammered, blushing at her baseless obsession. Raeger chuckled but continued to cook. Haruka watched him, knowing that it was best to let him cook in silence.

She sat in silence, wondering where she had been conditioned to like pumpkin once Fall came around. She remembered her time in the city, where, once the first leaf fell from a tree, everyone would whip out scarves, boots, and pumpkin spice.

The front door opened and Fritz entered the restaurant. "Hey, Raeger!" He greeted.

"Hey, Fritz!" Haruka called, forgetting about pumpkin spice.

Fritz's eyes landed on Haruka and his eyes widened, "Oh Haruka, sorry I didn't see you!"

Haruka laughed, "It's okay."

Fritz sat beside her on the counter, "No, it's not okay. I apologize." He took her hands in his, face full of sincerity.

"Get a room you two," Raeger had finished his cooking and was placing the plate of food in front of Haruka. Haruka chose to ignore his comment, but Fritz went scarlet and managed to stammer a small 'It's nothing like that…'. Raeger smirked and looked at Haruka, "When is that coming off? It's weird seeing you so…dark." He said, grabbing a strand of her hair in between his fingers.

"I-it's not like it doesn't suit you-" Fritz started.

"It doesn't."

"Raeger!" exclaimed Fritz.

"What? It doesn't! You look half dead." Raeger was the type of friend who was brutally honest. He never pulled his punches if he knew those punches would put you back on track.

"You don't have to say that!" Said a very indignant Fritz.

Haruka finished chewing her food, "It's okay Fritz, Raeger is right. I do look half dead." It had been a week since she had impulsively dyed her hair black, and she had regretted it since the first day. The first few days had been horrible, every time she would look at herself in the mirror she looked like she belonged in a horror movie. And not as the star, but as the ghost that frightens everyone.

Haruka had tried to get rid of the dye, yes, but nothing had proved effective. Her only option left was waiting; the dye would surely come off on its own…Someday.

"It was stupid." She sighed, taking another bite of her food.

"Yes, it was. You always go to the extremes, and-" Raeger's scolding was cut off by some customers entering the restaurant. "Ah, welcome." He said, putting his professional face on, a face he never used with Fritz or Haruka. "Please take a seat, I will be with you shortly." He turned to look at his friends, professional face disappearing and snarky face returning, "I'll talk to you in a bit."

Raeger set off to tend to his customers. "Pay him no mind, Haruka. I think it looks good on you…" Fritz blushed and averted his eyes. Fritz and Raeger were like oil and water; it was a miracle they were even friends. Fritz believed polite honesty was the way to go, while Raeger maintained polite honesty was a synonym of lying. It seemed that the only thing the two of them had in common was their cooking ability.

"It's okay, I honestly don't mind." Unlike Fritz, she actually welcomed Raeger's honesty. She needed someone to tell her how stupid and impulsive her decision had been, it kept her grounded. Raeger was a constant reminder of what not to do.

Fritz smiled at her, "Well, as long as he doesn't hurt you…Oh, have I told you what Whiskers did today?" Fritz told her about the epic adventure his cat had gone to, missing no detail. Haruka sat there, taking bites of her food and hearing Fritz. Hearing because she wasn't really listening to what he was saying.

Fritz was easy to talk to, and Haruka liked that. He could carry a whole conversation by himself like a champion, Haruka just needed to let out 'Oh's, 'Ah's and the occasional 'I agree'. That easy conversation pattern allowed Haruka's mind to wander.

Today, her mind wandered to what Raeger had told her the day of the party. He had told her to give Fritz a chance and she had agreed. However, Haruka hadn't made a single attempt to give Fritz a chance. In fact, she had been doing the complete opposite. She had been actively avoiding spending time alone with him. Every time Fritz would invite her to dinner, or ask her on a walk, she would bail, tell him that she had a crop to water, or a cow to milk.

Haruka felt slightly guilty, but she needed to sort everything out before fulfilling her promise. She needed to talk to Klaus.

* * *

 

"…and Mistel's performance was impeccable as ever." Klaus listened to her every word, there had been so much he had missed. Festivals, important notices and even a new trader.

"Where is the new trader from?" he asked, excited to get new products as well as new scents from a different country.

Iris smiled, loving how enthusiastic Klaus was being. "Ah, Sakura Country. They have the best rice around."

Sakura Country? Great! Klaus made a mental note to visit their booth the next time they were in town. Sakura Country was known to have an abundance of calming fragrances, perhaps he could use some in his projects to come.

"Ah, here we are…" Iris went to open the door but hesitated a moment. "You know, let's go back, I'll cook something for you." She said, biting her lip.

Klaus frowned, "Was it not you who wanted to get me out of the house?"

"Well, yes. But I'd rather have you recover little by little than have you recover in an instant just to crumble again at the minimal provocation. Slow and steady wins the race, right?" It was cute how much Iris cared about him, but he was a grown adult, not a child. He would not crumble again, he had learned.

"Nonsense" He exclaimed as he opened the door Iris would not.

Klaus quickly scanned the room, anticipation building in his stomach only to have it disappear when he noticed Haruka was not there. He couldn't help but sigh.

"Should we-" he started but was interrupted by Iris taking a sharp breath. "What is wrong?"

Iris was looking directly at Fritz, who was seating next to a girl at the counter. She grabbed his arm, "Perhaps we should go." She said, slightly tugging at his arm.

Klaus rolled his eyes, "Iris, it is okay. I am okay." Iris was being too protective, Haruka wasn't even there! Perhaps Iris was worried that he would feel bad at seeing Fritz or something?

"Raeger!" Shouted an all too familiar voice. Klaus's head turned around towards Haruka's voice on instinct but didn't find her. Instead, he only saw Fritz sitting beside a girl so short her feet were dangling from the chair.

Klaus surveyed the room again, desperately hoping to find Haruka. "Raeger!" he heard again. Klaus looked wildly from side to side, but couldn't locate Haruka.

"What?" Raeger answered shooting an annoyed glance at the girl beside Fritz. Raeger cleared his throat, perhaps he thought his reply had been a little too harsh. "I mean; I'll be with you in a second."

"But I want my Pumpkin Pudding!" The girl whined. How funny, Klaus thought, the girl sounded just like Haruka.

Raeger gave an exasperated sigh, closely followed by an apologetic smile to his clients, "Ah, yes, my cooking can do that to people." He told them, adding a wink for good measure. The clients laughed, especially the female ones. "Fritz, will you entertain Haruka for a second?" Did Raeger just say Haruka…?

Klaus looked at the girl, surely there was no way- The girl turned around, "Mean!" She whined again, but Klaus could not pay attention to what she was saying, he was busy watching the girl in disbelief. That could not be Haruka, she was always colorful and gave off a cheerful aura, this girl was, well, gloomy for the lack of a better word.

The girl was indeed Haruka, but it wasn't the farmer Klaus had grown accustomed to. Her hair was dyed a deep black, which, if Klaus was being honest, did not suit her at all. The new Haruka looked tired and sad. The dark circles under her eyes were accentuated by her hair color, and she looked so pale Klaus was worried she might faint. Klaus felt his chest tighten, and suddenly it had become very hard to breathe.

Klaus was not sure how it had happened, but before he knew it, he was already out of the restaurant, being dragged by a very worried Iris. They did not stop until they were a safe distance from the restaurant. Iris stood there, heart beating fast. "Are you okay?" She asked in a small voice.

Klaus looked at her, an uncomfortable feeling building in his stomach. "Yes, of course." He told her, "Why would I not be?" He reached out her. "I am fine." He embraced Iris, placing his forehead on her shoulder. "I am marvelous." He said, voice breaking before he could finish. Iris put a comforting arm around him while he sobbed quietly on her shoulder, hoping Iris would not mind his tears staining her favorite dress.


	16. His Confession

Haruka opened the door with a sort of childish excitement bubbling inside her. Tomorrow was Winter, her favorite season in the whole year! She inhaled the crisp Fall air, telling herself that tomorrow if she was lucky, she would be surrounded by snow. Haruka loved Winter, it was, in her opinion, the most beautiful season of all. Sure, Spring brought colors and flowers, but there was something magical, almost ethereal about the complete whiteness Winter brought.

The sun slowly rose as Haruka went around checking her crops. Most of them would be fine transitioning into Winter, but neither her sweet potatoes nor her eggplants would be so lucky, she would have to dispose of them. She took out her sickle and got to work. As she was cutting down her crops, she felt a pang of regret. She almost didn't want to leave Fall behind, as it had been her most profitable season so far.

"I guess it can't be helped..." Haruka told herself, cutting the last remnants of her crops. She finished and traded her sickle for her watering can. She went around her field, watering her crops and mentally mapping the best time-efficient way of planting her new batch of Winter seeds, generously provided by Asche.

Haruka finished her work and looked around. Her farm was looking better by the day. The right part of her farm was dedicated to various buildings that transformed her raw materials into refined products. She had been astonished when Asche told her she could turn the dirt she sold into pottery and sell it at a higher price. Haruka soon discovered it was a great business and begun checking her Pottery Maker Studio every two days or so.

 _Cluck, cluck_. Haruka looked down, Bolt was at her feet, demanding her attention.

Haruka frowned, "How in the world..." she murmured, wondering how Bolt had managed to, once again, fool not only her reinforced coop doors but also jump over her fences. "I'd love to know how you do it." She told Bolt, picking him up and carrying him to the fenced area where she kept her animals. "Now wait here, I'll go get your friends." Haruka set Bolt down and went into the barn.

The barn was now the home to two cows and two sheep, who greeted her with enthusiastic ‘moo’s and ‘baa’s. Haruka went around the barn, brushing and patting each animal. Not too long ago she would take her sweet time brushing Hanako and giving her the love she deserved, but as her schedule was becoming tighter and tighter, she needed to optimize her time. Especially since she always dedicated time to go around town, in faint hopes of running into Klaus and laying their little issue to rest. Haruka sighed, her stomach was in knots again, something common these days. She resented Klaus a little, she hated the fact that a simple thought about him almost make her crumble. Ugh, love made you stupid, didn’t it?

“Alright, out you go.” She told Natsu the sheep once she had finished brushing her. Natsu went ahead and walked out the barn, leaving Haruka alone with Fuyu, the other sheep. “You sure you don’t want to go out? It’s a lovely day.” She told Fuyu and got an almost sarcastic glare in return. Haruka chuckled, “Okay then, your choice.” She patted Fuyu again, wanting to make sure the sheep wouldn’t get lonely.

Haruka had bought Natsu and Fuyu together from Marielle, the Cabin Country trader. Originally she had planned to buy only one sheep, but as she was about to pay, Marielle offhandedly told her that the two sheep were siblings and that they were quite attached to each other. Haruka, being the animal lover she was, could not bear separating the two siblings, and ended up buying both.

The two sheep were siblings, but they couldn’t be more different. While Natsu enjoyed grazing under the sun, Fuyu preferred staying inside. Haruka had been worried that Fuyu was sick when the sheep refused to go outside for the third consecutive day, so she sent a letter to her father, asking for help. Her father quickly replied and told her that Fuyu wasn’t sick, that it was probably Fuyu’s preference to stay inside. He then proceeded to explain about animal personalities and preferences. Haruka hadn’t quite gotten all of it, but she understood that Fuyu just didn’t like the outside so she wouldn’t force her.

The sun was well positioned on the sky when Haruka got out of the barn. She jogged towards Eda’s farm, vaguely aware that she was cutting it close in terms of time. She reached Eda’s farm in a matter of seconds and the contrast between the two farms hit her like a brick. Granny’s farm looked…well… not like a farm at all. The field, while expansive, had no crops at all, giving it a sort of barren feel. Her cattle, which was usually grazing outside by this hour, remained locked inside the barn.

Haruka felt a pang of sadness seeing her mentor’s farm like this. She had offered Eda her help, but Granny had refused with phrases like ‘I know you’re busy’ or ‘I’ll plant again when I’m better’, but Haruka quickly realized that Eda would not be producing anything this season. The only good thing coming out of Eda missing a season was that now she was all rested up and she could catch up with Winter.

“Granny?” Haruka called, entering the house without waiting for permission. “Granny?” She called again, slightly worried. Eda was nowhere to be found, was she outside?

“Over here, dearie.” Called a weak voice from the bedroom. Haruka perked up and hurried to the room where Eda was still in bed.

Haruka frowned and knelt beside Eda. “Granny! Are you feeling okay?” She asked, putting the back of her hand to Eda’s forehead, she had a fever.

“I’m fine, dearie.” Eda gave her a weak smile which Haruka did not return.

“Liar, you’re burning up. Wait up, I’ll go fetch a towel.” Haruka got up and went to the kitchen before Eda even had time to protest. She came back with a bowl of cold water and a wet towel. “Here,” she said, placing the wet towel over Eda’s forehead.

Granny let out a sigh of relief, “Ah, thank you, dearie. That really hit the spot.” Haruka pursed her lips, she didn't really know how to take care of a sick person. She rarely got sick and when she did, it was always her mother who would take care of her.

Haruka racked her brains, "I... Shall I go fetch Marian?" Even if she couldn't take care of her, she could go and bring someone who would.

Eda continued to smile weakly at her. "That's alright, dearie. I'm fine, just go on and continue with your day."

Haruka frowned, it was obvious Granny was not okay. Why was she so insistent on Haruka leaving? "No, I'm staying here until you are better." Haruka was surprised to hear the firmness in her voice. "A-anyways, it's not like I have a lot to do." She added, trying to sound a little politer.

Eda chuckled, "Don't be silly. I know you're busy." She tried to get up but quickly realized that she didn't have the strength. Haruka tried to help her but thought against it. She settled with dipping the towel and placing it on Eda's forehead again. "Plus, it's the end of the season. I'm sure you have a lot of prepping and shopping to do."

Haruka bit her lip, Granny was right, she did have a lot to do. She needed to go and prepare her rental fields for the next season. Plus, she had to sell some stuff at the Depot, and in turn, buy anything interesting the trades had in stock. Nevertheless, this was Granny she was talking about...For her, she could forgo a day of farming, even if it was the last day of the season. "No, I'll stay." Haruka made up her mind. Anyways, she wouldn't be able to fulfill her chores with Eda weighing down on her mind.

Eda frowned, a rare sight, and tried to argue, "No, I insist-"

"I said I will stay!" Haruka shouted, her voice breaking at the end. Ah, the anxiety she had been feeling since the start of the season had finally exploded. The dread she felt at seeing Eda lying in bed, letting her farm rot away had made her loose her cool. "I-I'm sorry, I just..." She stammered, flustered at her rudeness.

Eda's gaze softened, "It's okay, dearie." She reached out her hand to stroke Haruka's cheek. "It's okay..." Her soothing voice calmed Haruka's anxiety and suddenly she was a kid all over again, being comforted by her mom. "I will be alright. Just take care of your chores for the day, okay? I am better just by knowing you are worrying over me."

Haruka nodded sadly. She tried her hardest to hold her tears back, mainly because she didn't want Eda to think she was being weak. "I'll finish, and I'll come back." She looked at Eda, "I'll always be here for you, Granny."

Eda's eyes widened a little, "I thank you, dearie." She stroked Haruka's cheek one last time before urging her to the door. "Now, now, finish your preparations and then you can come back."

"Okay," said Haruka, feeling much better and for some reason, hopeful. “I’ll be back in no time, you’ll see.” Eda laughed softly. Haruka got up and dusted herself off. She walked to the door and with a last backward glance at Eda, left the house.

A gentle breeze greeted her, lifting her spirits a little. Haruka slowly walked to her rental fields. She was still anxious but managed to remain calm by telling herself that if she did her work fast enough, she would be back with Eda in no time at all. She picked up the pace, nearly running all the way to the fields.

It wasn’t until the sun was well positioned over the sky that she finished everything she had planned for the day. “Okay, let’s go back.” She told herself while whipping off some sweat from her forehead. She packed her things and set off to Eda’s farm.

Haruka walked at a brisk pace, only stopping to admire some flowers that were growing on the side of the trail. She considered picking them, since they were Eda’s favorite color but thought against it when she remembered Giorgio’s words of “One must never pluck a flower, but let it grow.”

Such words coming from him, a farmer who specialized in flowers, had made no sense, but now Haruka understood the sentiment behind the words. She understood that greed sometimes tainted what we loved the most. The flower, for example, would die if plucked, destroying the very beauty one admired from the beginning. But if left untouched, it would continue to be, preserving the beauty.

Haruka sighed, who was she kidding? She wasn’t thinking about flowers; she was thinking about Klaus. She wondered just how far gone was she that the sight of a flower reminded her of her troubles with him.

Their time apart had given Haruka time (plenty of it, if she was being honest) to think about their situation. What did she want? Well…She wanted to pluck Klaus and keep him to herself. She wanted their relationship to go beyond friendship. Why didn’t she pick Klaus, then? Well, because people are different from flowers in a lot of different ways. For instance, people _can_ refuse being plucked, like Haruka had discovered that Summer night. But there was also another tiny thing. A little fear Haruka harbored in the back of her mind. She was afraid that Klaus, like a flower, would wither away before her eyes. She didn’t want Klaus to agree to liking her but then, as time went by, to realize that maybe he didn’t like her that much. Haruka didn’t want to feel like _she wasn’t enough_.

Haruka shook her head. Not today, depressing thoughts would have to wait until after Eda was feeling better. She took a deep breath, resuming her walking until she heard muttering behind her. Haruka turned around and saw Fritz walking along the trail, hands in pockets and looking extremely nervous.

“Hey, Fritz!” She called in her usual cheery voice.

Fritz gave a magnificent jump, making Haruka laugh. “Don’t do that! You almost gave me a heart attack!” He said, clutching his chest and breathing a little too fast.

Haruka laughed, tears forming in her eyes, “What’s with that reaction? You almost seem suspicious.”

“Ah…Well…” Fritz scratched the back of his head, a little blush spreading across his cheeks. “I-I was going to…” Haruka raised her eyebrows expectantly and Fritz pursed his lips. “Going to see Eda!” He said with a smile that was stretching a little too tight.

Haruka beamed, “Oh! Great! I was about to do the same thing, let’s go together!” Fritz’s blush became more pronounced as he gave a little nod. “Oh! But I need to go drop off my tools first, is that alright?”

“Y-yeah, no problem.”

They set off, making little conversation as they walked. Fritz was being a little quieter than usual, so quiet in fact, that Haruka had to carry almost all the conversation by herself. They arrived at her farm after a short bout of silence, much to Haruka’s relief. “Ah, let me just-” She stopped, Fritz was not by her side. She turned around, “Fritz?”

Fritz was at the edge of her farm, watching with intent every single detail of her farm. “Wow…” He whispered. Haruka cocked her head in confusion, she couldn’t quite make out Fritz’s expression. There were disbelief and amazement, but there was also…jealousy? Fritz’s eyes moved from building to building until he realized Haruka was staring at him. He turned pink and cleared his throat, “Ah, you have a nice farm.” He smiled at her, perhaps a little too forcefully but a smile nonetheless.

“Thanks, I-”

“No…” Fritz interrupted, looking extremely torn. Haruka frowned, Fritz was acting way too out of character, what was wrong? “You…You are doing extremely well,” He took a deep breath, “You’re even better than I was a year ago…” He added, perhaps a little too sadly because he quickly added, “I mean, I’m glad- It’s just-” The pained expression did not leave his face, “Well, it’s a bit embarrassing to admit that you started waaaay after I did…”

Oh, that took Haruka by surprise. She had never pictured Fritz to be the ‘proud’ type. “Well, I don’t think that’s fair,” she said. Fritz face quickly changed from pained to surprised and then again to apologetic, perhaps he thought she was mad at him. “I do have more experience than you, after all.”

“W-what do you mean?” He stammered.

“My mother is a farmer, and my dad is an animal dealer, so I kinda know how to play the game.” As the words left her mouth she realized that no one knew about this. She had never talked about her past to anyone in town, well, except for Klaus…Ugh, go away depressing thoughts!

Haruka turned to look at Fritz in hopes of stopping her thoughts from going straight to Klaus. “Really? I never knew that!” A smile spread across Fritz’s lips, “That’s great to hear!”

So, with a happier and more cheerful Fritz in tow, she went to drop off her tools. It was a quick affair, she only stopped to pet and thank Pumpkin for bringing her a fish. The short way to Eda’s house was littered with Fritz pointing at things around the farm and making comments like “Oooh, nice” and “I never thought of that”.

They arrived at the house and were greeted by a bedridden Eda. “Granny!” Haruka ran to her side and checked her temperature.

“Hey, Gran,” said Fritz, shuffling awkwardly on his feet. “How are you doing?”

Eda gave him a weak smile from behind Haruka, “Ah, I’m good, I’m good. Haruka does have a tendency to overreact.”

Haruka scoffed and rolled her eyes, “You say that now, but I know you’ll thank me when you’re better.”

Eda chuckled, “Yes, yes, I will. Oh, how rude of me, I’ll go make you a cup of tea.” She tried to sit up but was immediately stopped by Haruka.

“I can do that!” She chirped. Haruka stood up, brushing away Eda’s ‘No’s and ‘Don’t bother’s. “Is green tea okay?” She asked Fritz, who blushed and nodded.

Haruka headed to the kitchen and quickly found the tea bags. She put the kettle on the stove and waited. She debated whether to go back to Eda’s room and check on her, but chose instead to rummage the cupboards for medicine. There _should_ be something she could give Eda, right?

Haruka could hear Fritz and Eda talking in the other room, but she couldn’t quite make it out. She opened the last cupboard only to find it filled with delicate teacups and pots. Thoroughly disappointed, Haruka was considering going to Marian when there was a knock on the door.

Haruka heard Fritz say ‘I’ll get it’, probably because Eda had made another attempt at getting out of bed, but she reached the door first and opened it to reveal a tired looking Veronica.

“Ah, Haruka, hello.” Veronica sounded as if she hadn’t expected Haruka to be there. “Can I co- Is Eda home?” Haruka frowned, she had never seen Veronica this flustered.

“Yes, of course,” Haruka said, stepping aside to allow Veronica inside. “Eda is in her room. Would you like a cup of tea?”

Veronica hesitated before saying, “Yes, yes, I think tea would be a great idea.” She marched towards the room and was equally surprised to find Fritz there. “Ah, hello Fritz.”

Fritz offered her a small smile, “Hello, Miss Veronica. What brings you here?”

“The same thing as you, I suppose.” Fritz looked politely skeptic as if saying that he didn’t think she was here for the same reason as him.

Haruka came into the room holding a tray filled with teacups a pot and several cookies she had found. “Here,” she said, placing the tray down and offering each a cup.

“Don’t bother,” Veronica said rather sternly. Haruka and Fritz looked at her and Veronica realized she had come off as rude. “Ah, no. What I mean is I need to speak to Eda.” The room fell silent. “Alone, if you don’t mind.” She said when none of the other moved.

“Why?” Haruka blurted out. She hadn’t meant to sound so crossed, but she didn’t understand what could be so private that she had to speak to Eda alone.

“That is none of your concern,” Veronica said in the voice Haruka’s mother used to use when Haruka was pushing it.

The tone was supposed to mean danger; it was supposed to make Haruka drop the subject. It had the opposite effect, instead of making Haruka step down, it lit a fire inside of her. “I don’t see how it is none of my concern. If this is something about the Guild, then you have three out of the five farmers in town in here.”

Veronica glared at her. Haruka was being insolent, she knew, but she wouldn’t leave Granny’s side until she knew Granny would be better and that included stepping out of the house. Veronica took a steadying breath, “It’s not a matter of the Guild, so if you would please-”

“We’re not leaving! Right?” Haruka turned to look at Fritz who shuffled uncomfortably on his feet.

“Ah,” he looked guiltily at her, “Haruka, I- I think it would be better if…” he trailed off but Haruka didn’t need to hear the rest, she had gotten the gist of it. Fritz wanted her to leave, to abandon Eda in her time of need.

Well, if Fritz wanted to leave he could. Haruka felt a sense of betrayal, couldn’t he see how important this was for her? She had always thought of Fritz as a friend who would back her up in anything she did, however stupid. They played _Extreme Tag_ for Goddess’ sake! Klaus would’ve back her up, she knew he would’ve.

“Fine! _I_ will stay then.” Haruka crossed her arms across her chest. They all stared at her like she was being unreasonable. Perhaps she was, but couldn’t they understand that she couldn’t leave Eda’s side when the dread of something happening to Granny was eating her up? She wanted to believe that everything would be alright, but there was an indescribable feeling in her gut that told her that not everything was all right.

Veronica and Haruka glared at each other in silence and Fritz shrank into a corner. Eda cleared her throat but neither woman turned to look at her. “Haruka, dear?” She asked, trying to get Haruka to pay attention to her.

Slowly and quite reluctantly Haruka’s eyes slid off Veronica’s and looked at Eda. “Yes, Granny?” She asked through gritted teeth, she knew what would come next.

“Will you please wait outside until Veronica and I finish our conversation?” She asked, her eyes twinkling. Eda was good, she had left Haruka with no place to argue. She hadn’t said ‘Go away’, nor ‘Please leave’. She said ‘wait’, which meant that she was allowed back. “Will you?” Eda sounded somewhat tired, which made Haruka feel cheated. Of course she would leave if Eda sounded too tired to argue, Eda knew that and was taking advantage of that!

Haruka wanted to stay but everyone was working against her. She ignored the shameful feeling of defeat and mumbled a ‘fine’ under her breath. She walked out of the room without a single glance at Veronica, Fritz quickly followed.

The cold air hit her face as she left the house, making her eyes water a bit. She slammed the door behind her, only barely aware of the faint ‘ouch’ that came from Fritz. She paced from side to side, gnawing her finger and trying to calm herself down.

It was several minutes before she slowed down. The cold, the pacing and the biting finally managed to sober her up if only slightly. Fritz seemed to think so too because he finally approached her. His hands were on the air as if to signal that he wasn’t a threat. “Better?” He asked in a low voice.

Haruka took a deep breath, “Yeah, I just…” She hesitated, not really willing to share her feelings with Fritz. He wasn’t a friend to share feelings with, he was a friend to have fun with. He was the type of friend you go to forget the sadness rather than talk about it. She didn’t want to admit it, but right now, she needed Raeger.

Haruka wanted to run down to his restaurant and talk his ear off, confide in him all her worries and anxiety. She knew he would listen, like he always did, and not judge her. Sometimes he would even offer useful advice or offer a snide remark that would make her laugh. Yeah, she wanted to talk to Raeger but she couldn’t. She needed to stay by Eda’s side.

“What do you think that was about?” Fritz asked after a bout of silence. Haruka looked at him, he was staring at the ground, kicking a rock around. He was obviously trying to strike a conversation, but very awkwardly.

It suddenly occurred to Haruka how very forced all this felt. “I don’t know.” She answered, harsher than she had intended. Fritz's face fell for a second, making Haruka feel awful. Fritz wasn’t at fault; she shouldn’t be horrible to him.

Haruka was about to apologize when he spoke again. “I reckon it’s about the farm.”

“What do you mean?” asked Haruka. Did Fritz know something she didn’t?

“Well,” he started, eager to have Haruka’s attention. “You know how the farms are the Guild’s?” He asked and Haruka nodded. It had come as a relief that she didn’t have to pay for the land that she was going to use, mainly because she didn’t have that kind of money in the first place.

“We don’t even have to pay any rent.” She added. Honestly, Haruka could hardly see how that was fair for the Guild, but she had never questioned it. Perhaps the Guild made their money some other way?

“Yeah, it’s great, isn’t it?” Haruka nodded, confused as to what Fritz’s point was. “Well, the only thing the Guild asks in payment is for the farm to be up and running. It’s kind of a fantastic deal for the farmers.” He said, grinning at the Guild’s generosity. Haruka had to agree with him. The deal was ‘We’ll give you land for free and the only thing you have to do is make a living’.

“However…” His expression suddenly changed, taking a grimmer turn. “You do have to be producing something. Last year Veronica came to talk to me after a particularly bad season.” He explained, his mouth twisting at the bitter memory. “She told me that farmers were expected to work the land, and that if I continued slacking off I would be put on probation, and that I could even lose the farm…” Haruka stayed quiet. Fritz saw her expression and jumped a little, “Ah! That was a long time ago, thought! They haven’t called me in seasons! And, and, Veronica even came last season to thank me for my hard work! And-”

Fritz continued to try and reassure Haruka that he wouldn’t be leaving anytime soon but Haruka was barely listening to him. Her silence wasn’t because she was sad or worried about him, it was because she had finally put two and two together. If Fritz was scolded after a bad season, what would they do to Eda who didn’t produce anything at all? Haruka’s heart beat faster, was Eda in danger of losing her farm? The farm that she had tightly held for years?

Sudden anger engulfed Haruka, how could they? Was the Guild so full of money hungry monsters that they would take away an old woman’s property because she had fallen ill?

Haruka balled her fists and her eyes filled with angry tears. “I won’t let them…” She whispered.

“Huh?”

“I said I _won’t_ let them.” Fritz winced at the look she was giving him. “Just because she fell ill doesn’t mean they get to throw her out.”

Fritz’s eyes widened, “No! That’s not what I meant!” He said, realizing the damage his words had done a tad too late. “I don’t think they will throw her out! Maybe it’s just a warning!”

“Warning or not!” Haruka shouted, “I won’t let Veronica throw Eda out! I’ll work both farms if I have to!” She had said it in anger, in the spur of the moment, but as the words came out of her mouth she realized that maybe she could. She ran her tight schedule on her head, making space for new tasks. She would have to cut her restaurant visits short and she would have to run faster than ever, but it was possible. She could even send a letter to her Mom to ask her about the special jewelry she had crafted to keep her stamina up!

“Haruka? Are you alright? You’re scaring me…” Fritz said, putting a shaky hand on her shoulder.

She turned to look at him, “Fritz…I could do it, you know?” She said, evaluating the weight of having both farms on her shoulders. “I would’ve to stop going to town a few days, but I think I can help Granny out!” She clapped her hands excitedly.

Fritz frowned, dropping his hand from her shoulder. “I don’t think that’s what Eda would want…” He trailed off.

“What do you mean?” She snapped. Did Fritz know what Eda wanted? No, he didn’t. And even if he did, if Haruka wished to know what Eda wanted she would just walk into the house where Eda was and ask her.

“I mean that Eda wouldn’t want you working yourself to the bone and not living.” Fritz scratched the back of his head like he always did when he was embarrassed. “I think Eda would want you to have a plentiful life, you know?”

Haruka did not respond, she was too mad to speak. She had a plentiful life. She had an amazing farm, amazing family, amazing friends and amazing animals. What more could she ask for?

“Maybe Eda wants you to have a boyfriend, get married, have kids…That sort of stuff…” An awkward silence fell between them. Fritz was so nervous he was shaking and Haruka had just realized the dangerous situation she was in.

 “Ah, funny Eda never told me any of that…” Haruka gave a weak laugh, fully aware that this was a lame and weak attempt at diverting the conversation.

Fritz ignored her, taking her hand instead, “Wouldn’t you like that?” He placed her hand over his heart, “Wouldn’t you be happier with that?” He asked, his voice almost a whisper.

Without her consent, images of Klaus assaulted her mind. Klaus and her holding hands, both of them with smiles on their faces. She could picture herself in a white dress walking down a flower-filled aisle towards him. She could imagine herself hugging a dark-haired child… “Yeah…” She blurted out, so immersed in her little fantasy that she didn’t notice Fritz’s face lighting up.

“That’s good. That’s good because I-I like you!” Fritz’s eyes were closed and Haruka could feel his heart beating like crazy under her hand. She wanted to pull her hand away because he was squeezing her so hard that it was starting to hurt. “I-I’ve liked you since the first day we met and not just because you’re pretty!” That caught Haruka off guard and she had to stifle a laugh.

If this was happening to another person, she would definitely go running to Raeger’s and tell him about the embarrassing things the other person was saying. They would have a laugh, perhaps even ridicule the other party (yes, they were horrible people), and overall have a great time. But no, she couldn’t do that this time, this was Fritz they were talking about. Raeger would never ridicule Fritz’s confession.

Fritz finished his confession in a mess of stutters and half-finished sentences and silence fell between them. Here it was, the moment of truth. The moment when Haruka had to choose between going out with him without actually having any romantic feelings for him or gently reject him. Either way, she would be a horrible, horrible person because she just couldn’t win.

Haruka frantically searched her head for the right words, her vocabulary failing her when she couldn’t come up with words. Ugh, her mother would be ashamed. Apparently, she was taking too long because Fritz spoke again, “Ah! I don’t expect an answer right now!” He quickly dropped her hand and blushed. “I- I just wanted you to know how I feel…” He scratched the back of his head with a pained smile.

Haruka’s stomach tightened as she realized how similar this situation was the one she’d had with Klaus. Well, they still hadn’t reached a yelling point, she didn’t feel like beating the living daylights out of Fritz and she didn’t feel like crying. But one party was confessing and the other rejecting, so it was basically the same thing. “I…” she started but was interrupted by the door opening behind them. Veronica emerged, looking red-eyed and sick. She didn’t even spare them a glance before firmly walking towards town.

Haruka’s eyes followed her and Fritz had to drag her face towards him to gain her attention again. “Just think about it, okay? You can take as much time as you want, no pressure.” He caressed the side of her face with his hand, “I just needed to get it off my chest, it was literally killing me.” He gave her his usual boyish smile. Haruka wanted to argue with him the meaning of the word ‘literally’ but because he was acting more like his normal self, she decided not to. He was no longer shaking nor breathing heavy and his face was of normal color. But most importantly, he was smiling, truly smiling. Perhaps the weight of his confession had been killing him in its own way.

“Go,” Fritz said.

“What?” Haruka asked. She had been examining him so closely that she hadn’t noticed how much time she had been silent.

“She means the world to you. Go take care of her.” He nodded towards Eda’s house and a warm feeling spread through Haruka, he really understood, didn’t he?

“I’m sorry, I-” She stammered, trying to explain herself.

“Just go, I’ll wait.” Haruka wanted to punch Fritz, nobody was supposed to be so nice. Instead, she nodded, gave him a quick hug along with a murmured ‘thanks’ and ran towards the house, leaving Fritz alone.

Fritz stood there, watching her go, his own sense of dread building inside.


	17. The Right Thing

A quiet morning, followed by a quiet day and ending on a quiet evening, Raeger’s worst nightmare. He sat behind his counter, feet over one of his shelves, something he rarely did, but who cared? There was no one here to see his lack of manners. He frowned, not even Haruka nor Fritz had shown their annoying faces today.

Raeger sat up and put the baking magazine he had been reading aside. Perhaps they were together? Had his little mission finally been successful? He should be feeling ecstatic, shouldn’t he? His best friend would finally get the girl and be happy…Only thing, he didn’t. The pit of his stomach tightened with something akin to guilt.

Why was he feeling this way? Ever since the party, an ugly thought had been gnawing at the back of his mind. _Had he done the right thing?_ At that time the answer was a simple yes, he was helping Fritz get the girl. But now…Now that he could see the aftermath of his careful planning, the answer was not so simple. Why did life enjoy being _so_ complicated?

The door opened and the bell indicating a new customer pulled him from his thoughts. Raeger stood up and put on his most dazzling smile, only for it to fall when he noticed the new customer was none other than Iris. It took everything he had to stop himself from sighing. He drew to his full height, “Welcome,” He greeted, “What can I get you?” he asked with the sweet tone that Haruka swore would someday kill a lady.

Iris approached the counter and looked down on him, yes, _down_. A muscle in Raeger’s cheek twitched, curse Iris, her height, and her heels. _This is unfair,_ Raeger thought. He got a tall customer every now and then, but when his daily company were Fritz and Haruka, it was easy to forget that he wasn’t the tallest person around.

“Why don’t we drop the pretenses?” Iris said, sitting down in the booth directly across from him.

Raeger laughed it off, “Wow, I don’t remember you being this hostile.”

Iris rolled her eyes and glared at him, “Oh I’m sorry,” she said, sarcasm dripping from her voice. “I didn’t think I’d hurt your _feelings_.” A short awkward silence fell on them when Raeger couldn’t think of a retort. “I’ll take a Tomato Risotto to go, _please_.” She said the word please through gritted teeth.

Raeger frowned, not only was Iris being horrible to him, but she had the nerve to order something that’s not on the menu? Rude. Who did she think she was? Haruka? “That’s not on the menu,” he barked, feeling his usual bite returning. “And I’d love for you to tone it down a bit, it’s not my fault that you’re tired of babysitting.” The last words had escaped him before he could hold them back. Ugh, he had said something out of line and a pang of guilt hit him when Iris pursed her lips.

“Actually…” Iris smiled, “Some would say it _is_ your fault.” She looked at him with an air of triumph around her, as if challenging to contradict her.

Raeger felt himself blush. Ah, she was being ruthless today, wasn’t she? It had crossed his mind that Mistel would eventually tell Iris what he had said to Klaus that day, but he hadn’t counted on Iris to throw the knowledge at him so easily. “Fair enough.” He said, taking pans and fresh ingredients out of his pantry and arranging them on the counter.

Raeger worked in silence, the only sounds coming from his chopping of ingredients. He would regularly sneak glances at Iris, who was being too quiet after their exchange. She looked tired, but not from overworking herself, more like she had excessively been worried about something or someone and Raeger could guess who that someone was.

The ugly feeling crept back on his stomach, making it difficult to cook. “How is he doing?” he asked. Raeger tried to tell himself he wanted a distraction and that he didn’t really care for Klaus’s actual wellbeing.

Iris looked at him, seizing him up, before she said, “He’s not fine if that’s what you’re asking.” Another silence fell between them, the tense atmosphere almost palpable. After a short while, Iris finally sighed, “He’s doing better than two weeks ago, at least.” Her shoulders relaxed as she talked, “He’s back to work and somewhat functional.” Raeger saw Iris frown from the corner of his eye, “He, however, absolutely refuses to leave the house.”

“Why?” Raeger found himself asking.

“He says he’s better in than out…” She muttered. “Sometimes I can’t even understand him!” Her voice had taken an exasperated tone. One that gave the impression that she was feeling both lost and betrayed. Raeger could understand, before Haruka, Iris had been the closest person to Klaus. It was only natural to feel exasperated when the person you thought you knew pulled the rug from under you so abruptly.

The cooking sounds stopped and Iris looked up. Raeger was standing frozen before her. He slowly put everything down and turned to look at her, an expression she had never seen before on his face. “I…I can’t go on.” He said through clenched teeth.

“What do you mean?” Iris’s voice was soft.

Raeger took a steadying breath. Iris had confided in him, hadn’t she? It was only fair that he returned the favor. “I…” Raeger wanted to tell Iris exactly how he felt. He wanted Iris to know the magnitude of the guilt he felt, the uncertainty that he had made the right decision and the weight that he was bearing because of his actions. He wanted to convey all of this to Iris, but he couldn’t find the right word. Iris looked at him, patiently waiting for him to get his bearings. Raeger finally gave up, threw his hands in the air and shouted, “I FEEL LIKE SHIT!”

Iris almost fell off her seat at his outburst, her eyes and a smile widening at his choice of words. “I feel terrible!” Raeger continued, he found that once the first words had been spoken, the rest were easy to find and say. “I am so sorry about what I did. I just- I thought I was doing the right thing, you know? I wanted to help Fritz and-” Raeger kept going and Iris listened to everything he had to say. It surprised Raeger just how patient she was. It had been a while since Raeger had shared his insecurities with someone, but he was glad he did. He felt so much better now that everything was out of his system.

“Well…That, that was something.” Iris said, a smile playing on her lips.

Raeger blushed, “Ah, sorry. I don’t often do this…” He scratched the back of his head, an annoying habit he picked from Fritz. “I’m usually on the listening side.” He admitted. He was usually the one people shared their problems to, not the one doing the sharing, it was a nice change.

“It’s okay, everyone deserves to be heard.” Iris gave him an understanding smile, which Raeger didn’t hesitate in returning. “That said…” She straightened up, an air of seriousness growing around her. “It is not me who you should be apologizing to.” A visible chill ran through Raeger’s spine. Iris stifled a laugh, “He doesn’t bite, you know?”

Raeger glared at her, “I know that but…” Raeger knew he should be telling all of this to Klaus. He knew he should be apologizing to him and not Iris, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. He didn’t know if it was loyalty to Fritz or his own sense of pride, but he couldn’t make himself go to Klaus’s, knock on his door and tell him the truth. It was quite irrational, really.

“You don’t want to admit to it.” Iris stated, so sure of herself that Raeger wondered just how good she was at reading people, perhaps all writers could do that. Iris sighed, “Don’t beat yourself too much. It’s not like you didn’t say anything he wasn’t already thinking.”

Raeger frowned, “What do you mean?”

Iris eyes widened as if she had said something she shouldn’t have, “Ah, it’s nothing…” The way she was persistently avoiding eye contact told Raeger that it was something.

“It’s not like I just spilled my guts to you…” Iris shot him a reproachful look and Raeger smirked, guilt tripping always did the trick.

“Ah well…I suppose it would only be fair…” She trailed off, deep in thought. Raeger saw her purse her lips, wondering if he was the first human being to see Iris struggle with words. “Klaus…Klaus doesn’t think too highly of himself.”

“I don’t understand.” Somehow Raeger found that hard to believe. Klaus was the image of a perfect gentleman, always carrying himself with dignity and uncanny grace. Plus, someone who got up every morning and willingly put on a three-piece suit did not sound like he pitied himself.

“Let’s just say he doesn’t like himself as much as he should.” Iris snapped, shooting the salt shaker a glare that would make anyone cower. “It’s irrational, and I’ve tried talking to him but he can be quite stubborn.” She rested her chin on her hands and sighed.

So, Klaus didn’t like himself? Raeger wanted to say he understood, that he knew how that felt, but honestly, he couldn’t relate. He could not imagine what it was living like that because Raeger liked himself very much. “I suppose the age gap doesn’t help.” He said, picking up ingredients again and resuming his cooking.

“Don’t even get me started on that.” Iris huffed, “It was his favorite thing to sulk about. ‘Oh, I am much too old for her’ or ‘She deserves a whole man’” She said in a voice that, Raeger had to admit, was a very accurate imitation of Klaus.

Raeger sighed, “Ah, I feel terrible. I feel like the villain in a romance novel. You know, the one who ruins everything for everyone.”

Iris chuckled because yes, she knew which one. “Yeah, I know who you’re talking about.” A comfortable silence fell upon them while Raeger finished cooking.

“You know…” Raeger said after a while, “I-I regret sticking my nose into their business…” He said in an uncharacteristic rush of honesty. Iris already knew he felt guilty, why not tell her the whole story? “Perhaps if I hadn’t intervened they would already be together and you know…neither of them would be so depressed.”

Raeger imagined the colorful Haruka that had first arrived at his restaurant and compared her to the gloom one that had been coming lately. He felt physically sick every time his nasty conscience reminded him that he had done that. He had convinced himself that he had been acting on Haruka’s best interest, but as corny as it sounded, the heart wants what it wants, right?

“You don’t know that,” Iris said, interrupting Raeger’s train of thought. He opened his mouth to argue but she waved her hand dismissively, “I think you are underestimating Klaus’s ability to sabotage himself.”

Was Iris trying to comfort him? Raeger frowned, he didn’t want comfort, he wanted to be made responsible for his actions. He was half surprised that he kind of wanted Iris to shout at him, to tell him how much of a horrible human being he was. “I don’t think-”

“I’m not going to punish you.” Raeger blushed, hearing it out loud made it sound so embarrassing. “It’s not my place to tell you you’ve done wrong. Plus, you’re not the only one who screwed up.” She added with a sympathetic smile. “We both stuck our noses in their business.”

“Yeah, but you were more subtle than I was.” He said, biting back the ‘But you didn’t screw them over’ comment that he wanted to say.

“Was I, though?” She whispered, eyes getting lost on the counter.

Raeger felt discomfort at watching Iris doubt herself. She didn’t deserve to be going through all this. “Perhaps next time we should just mind our own business.” He said, trying to cheer Iris up while placing the Tomato Risotto in a to-go container.

His attempt worked, Iris laughed. “Yeah, I think that would be for the best.” She reached across the counter for the container with one perfect Tomato Risotto. “How much to I owe you?”

As she opened her wallet Raeger held one hand up to stop her, “It’s on the house.”

“Ah, you are too kind.” Iris smiled and Raeger could swear that she was watching him through other eyes. “Thank you, for the food, and the conversation.”

A warm feeling spread through Raeger, it was nice having someone to confide in. “It was nothing. Just-” Raeger adverted his eyes to hide his blush, “take care of him, okay? I’ll take care of Haruka.”

“I promise,” Iris got up, container in hand, and walked towards the door. “Their story is a bit more complicated than I’ve liked.”

“It’s almost as if you wrote it” Raeger joked, remembering all the female customers that were often reduced to tears because they were reading one of Iris’s books in his restaurant.

“Yeah…” She whispered sadly, closing the door behind her.

 

* * *

 

 

The sounds of pencil scratching paper filled the dimly lit room. It was late, just a couple hours before midnight, but Haruka was wide awake and enthusiastically writing down her plans for Eda’s field. She had spent the majority of the day measuring the field and comparing the pros and cons of different crops.

“And here…Here we can plant several patches of Radish…And just below, Nappa Cabbage.” She murmured to herself, drawing little radishes all over her detailed map of the field. She was almost thankful that it was Winter if this was Summer it would be infinitely harder because of the sheer number of different crops.

Beside the map, there was a handmade calendar she always carried with her. She already had a magical calendar back home where important events were marked, but in this one, she managed her crop cycles. Planting and harvesting dates littered the battered piece of paper. What? She liked to be organized.

“Haruka, dear?” Eda’s feeble voice called from the bedroom. Haruka perked up at once, dropping everything she was doing and rushing to the bedroom.

“Yes, Granny?”

Eda smiled, something about Haruka reminded her of an overly eager puppy. “Dearie, I think it’s enough, you have to go home and have a goodnight’s sleep.”

Haruka frowned, hadn’t they been over this? “No, I’m staying and taking care of you.”

“No, no, dearie. A new season has to be started with energy, and if you take care of me you’ll only tire yourself out.”

Haruka huffed, she didn’t want to lose her temper but Eda was being unfair. “Granny, we’ve been over this, I’m staying.” She stomped her feet on the ground as to prove her point.

“I know, I know, but I would hate to see all your careful planning go to waste…”

“Oh, it’s okay. My farm’s already set, I’m planning yours.” Haruka clapped her hands excitedly, there was nothing she liked more than planning the layout of crops.

Eda chuckled, “Oh, no dearie. I don’t think I’ll be able to farm as much as you do!”

Haruka smiled, “It’s okay, I’ll help you.” She reached out to tuck a loose strand of hair behind Eda’s ear, “We’ll get through this together, okay?” She added, a little resentment behind her words, she still couldn’t forget the earlier incident with Veronica.

“You have such a good heart, dearie. But I must insist that you go rest.”

“Granny, I-”

“If you’re really going to help me on the farm, you have to take care of yourself first. Okay?”

Haruka frowned and said nothing. Eda was being too insistent, why was it wrong that she stayed here tonight? Haruka weighted her options, she wanted to stay and support Eda, but if supporting her meant arguing with her every time she got, wouldn’t that be missing the point entirely? “Why do you want me gone?” Her voice came out low and hurt, like a child’s who’s being punished.

Eda’s eyes softened, “Dearie, I don’t want you gone, but I don’t wish for you to throw away your life for me.” Haruka sniffed, Eda’s words brought back the conversation she had with Fritz and her stomach tightened.

“I’ll go,” She said, inwardly chastising herself. She was running away and she knew it. “But I’ll come back tomorrow to check on you, okay?”

Eda’s fingertips grazed her cheek, “Thank you, dearie.”

Haruka got up and left the room to pack her things. Once the plans she had been working on were safely stored in her backpack she returned to Eda’s bedroom. “I’ll get going, anything happens, you call for me.” She said firmly.

“Yes, yes, thank you.” Eda watched her for a while, “I’m just glad you got to make so many friends…” Eda trailed off, there was such sadness in her voice that Haruka felt chills run down her spine.

“You know, I-” She started, regretting her choice of leaving.

“I think I’ll go to sleep now.” Eda said, her voice getting lower with each word. Haruka took this as her cue to leave but stayed rooted to the spot. She watched Eda from the doorframe, the back of her head and the rise and fall of her chest.

After several minutes Haruka left. She softly closed the door, not wanting to disturb Eda’s sleep. The walk was a short one, but with each step, she could feel a sense of dread building inside of her. Haruka tried to brush it off, to tell herself that Eda would be okay. But if Eda was okay…Why had it felt like she was saying goodbye?


	18. Raeger's Conscience

"Have you seen her?" Raeger asked Fritz, who was comfortably sitting at his usual place across the counter. It had been a quiet lunch time, too quiet actually. Business usually slowed down during Winter, Raeger knew this and still complained about it every year. Not today, though. Today he had more pressing matters to discuss.

"No…you?" Fritz said, sounding almost disappointed. Raeger knew this was because Fritz had hoped that he would be the one to comfort Haruka. She, however, had other ideas.

"Not since the funeral. Now that I think about it, I don't believe anyone has seen her since then…" Raeger trailed off, his hands absentmindedly wiping a glass clean.

"I've gone to her farm and everything is normal but she refuses to open the door." Fritz sighed. Raeger would never tell Fritz, but he had gone to see Haruka too. In fact, he went every day to try and comfort her the only way he knew, with food. She never opened the door, though, so he usually left it at her front door. He sighed, only Haruka could turn him into a delivery boy.

"I'm worried about her…" Fritz said, obviously following his own train of thought. "What if something happened to her?" His face was suddenly flooded with worry.

Raeger waved his hand dismissively, "Nah, I think she's fine. She just needs time to cope with her loss. I mean, it was Eda after all…" As the words fell from his mouth he remembered Eda's funeral.

It had come as a surprise for everyone when Veronica had gone house to house announcing Eda's passing. It'd been the first day of Winter and the news had come like the weather, cold and bitter. He remembered Veronica telling him that the funeral would take place the same day, which had struck Raeger as odd, had she planned for this?

The funeral was attended by almost everyone in town. Every resident had gone to pay their respects to the senior farmer. Even Klaus had made an appearance, however brief. Raeger had hoped seeing Klaus would comfort Haruka in any way, but his idea was quickly crushed when he saw her.

Haruka, who had already looked half dead because of her hair, somehow looked even worse. Raeger would never forget the way her eyes were out of focus like she was lost inside her own mind. Nor the way that she sat there like a shell of her former self. She didn't move from her spot and she never uttered a word, not even when Veronica announced that Eda had left her the farm.

After the ordeal was over Raeger and Fritz had tried to approach her but she had disappeared into the crowd without saying goodbye.

"I guess you're right…" Fritz's voice snapped Raeger back into the present. "She needs time, huh…" He looked at the clock as if it was going to spring to life and tell him exactly how much time Haruka needed, and he jumped. "Oh no! I need to go!" Fritz sprang to his feet and was out the door before Raeger could even say goodbye.

The door swung close, leaving Raeger alone with his thoughts. Raeger frowned, he missed his friends. He missed the two people who would always come and keep him company when he was alone. But now one of them was depressed and refused to meet anyone, and the other one was obsessed with making his farm as successful as possible because he thought it would somehow bring the other one back from depression.

The clock struck noon and Raeger decided to take his break earlier. It wasn't like there were any clients to cook for anyway. He grabbed a plate of lasagna, plastic neatly wrapped around it, and threw his coat on. It had almost become a ritual to him. Wake up, cook for Haruka, deliver it to her door and come back with nothing to show that his efforts were being appreciated. Heck, he couldn't even retrieve the plates! But that was okay, that was fine. It wasn't like he had some ulterior motive, he honestly just wanted to have his friend back. He glanced at the clock one last time before leaving, wishing with all his might that it would tell him how much more time Haruka would need to heal.

The walk was a long tiring one, Raeger could barely believe Haruka did this every day. Nevertheless, he persevered and now, with his legs aching, he stood in front of Haruka's home. He knocked once, no response. It wasn't like he had expected Haruka to change her mind overnight and open the door for him, but it still hurt that she would ignore him like this.

 _What if she hadn't heard it? What if she was in the shower?_  Asked his childish hope.  _Then she has been taking a really long shower_ , said his nasty rational side. Raeger knocked again, feeling like the time he had opened the fridge door, closed it and opened it again to see if anything new had shown up.

When his second knock got no response, he decided to give up. He carefully placed the plate over her 'Welcome' doormat. Huh, how ironic. The food he brought always disappeared by the next day, so at least he knew Haruka was eating. That or the wild dogs were getting smarter.

Raeger saw movement out of the corner of his eye and turned around. There, amongst the pure white of the snow, was a ginger ball of fur. Raeger smiled despite himself, Pumpkin!

 _Meow,_ Pumpkin called. Raeger was mildly surprised the cat could manage to meow through the Black Branch it was holding in its mouth.

"Hey buddy," Raeger answered, bending to scratch the cat behind its ears. He loved cats, and not in the fetish-y kind of way Mistel did. He truly liked the animal. Cats were cute, soft and required less attention than dogs. Cats were perfect. "She's locked herself in…How are you going to get inside?" He asked Pumpkin without shame because there was no one around to judge him for talking with a cat.

 _Meoooow,_ purred Pumpkin, letting himself be picked up by Raeger. His hands glided through his fur. Raeger almost wished he had a cat. He remembered all the times he had teased Haruka about grabbing Pumpkin and making a run for it and- Wait…

He could kidnap Pumpkin...

 _A Catnapping_ , he snickered at his own lame pun. It was a good idea, genius even. It was risky, though, nothing assured him that Haruka wouldn't come out and kick his butt for doing this.  _She would still have to come out_ , a voice in his head chirped and Raeger had to agree. Haruka coming out to kill him was better than Haruka not coming out at all.

All right then, time to put his plan into motion. Raeger squeezed Pumpkin against his chest, earning him a long meow from Pumpkin. He cleared his throat and spoke in a firm voice, "Haruka! I am catnapping Pumpkin until you decide to start dealing with life again." He figured a little of humor would be in order. "If you want Pumpkin back then you'll have to go to my restaurant." He waited for an answer that never came.

Silence stretched through the farm, broken only by Pumpkin's annoyed meows. Apparently, the cat had had enough of Raeger, typical, and was now trying to escape his arms. "Stay still-AGH" Pumpkin had scratched his hand. Raeger resisted the urge to throw the cat away from him, he loved his hands more than he loved cats. "We'll be waiting!" He called one last time before walking away and doing his best to restrain the cat.

With a sound like a gunshot, a window was opened. Haruka's hand, Raeger wanted to believe, came out and snapped its fingers. At once, and taking advantage that Raeger had been briefly stunned, Pumpkin clawed his way out of Raeger's grasp and leaped into the house, the window closing as soon as his tail was out of sight.

All the action was over in a second. The window opened, Pumpkin escaped, the window closed. If it weren't because Raeger's arms were screaming in pain, he would've thought everything had been a bizarre dream.

It took a couple of seconds for the anger to set in. What the heck? It was one thing to be too depressed to come up to the door and open it, but it was another thing entirely to actively avoid him.

"You can't keep this up forever!" He shouted. His anger, caused by Haruka's actions and fueled by Pumpkin's betrayal, overflowed. "Everyone has lost someone! You just have to grow up and get over it!" Furious, Raeger stomped off Haruka's property.

 

* * *

 

 He was a smooth talker, handsome and an amazing chef, but he was also a realist, and he knew his limitations. He knew Haruka would only open the door for two people, Klaus and Eda, and given the recent events, Klaus was the only viable option.

"He can help her…" He repeated to himself for the hundredth time, wishing that this time it would finally sink in. Raeger knew Klaus was the only person who could help Haruka heal right now. He knew, but it still hurt that it couldn't be him. He snorted a laugh, now he understood how Fritz felt most of the time.

Well, if he couldn't be 'the one', he could at least be the person who sent 'the one' to her, and that counted, right? Raeger squared himself and knocked on the door. The noise echoed through the empty streets. He had never really noticed how quiet this part of town was, it was almost creepy.

The door opened and Klaus poked his head outside. “Raeger,” he said, clearly surprised that the chef who he barely even spoke to was at his door this late into the night. “To what do I own the surprise?”

Raeger shifted uncomfortably on his feet. He duly noted that even though it was softly snowing outside and flurry white was piling on his shoulders, Klaus did not invite him in. Perhaps not everything was forgiven between them. He knew it would be unreasonable to expect Klaus to just forget everything that had come out of his mouth, but he had still hoped.

“Ah,” Great, genius even. Hadn’t he just been thinking about how much of a smooth talker he was? And the first thing that comes out of his mouth when confronted with his destiny was ‘ _Ah’_. Raeger cleared his throat, he needed to do better than that. “May I come in?” He could do better, he knew it, but his fingers were starting to feel numb and the inside of Klaus’s home looked oddly inviting.

Klaus looked taken aback by the question, and Raeger couldn’t blame him. Klaus was probably trying to guess what on Earth could Raeger possibly want. The seconds ticked by and Raeger was considering swallowing his pride and adding a ‘please’ when Klaus stepped aside with a ‘Yes, of course’ that didn’t feel that sincere.

The house’s warmth spread through him the same was hot chocolate did. Raeger was vaguely aware that this was the first time he had ever been inside Klaus’s house. Which would be strange if it wasn’t for the fact that he had his hands full with the restaurant, and that Klaus rarely got involved with the town’s affairs.

Sure, Klaus always greeted the neighbors, always attended the town's festivals and he even was a regular at Raeger's restaurant. But he always had this air around him, an air that clearly marked him as an outsider. It was weird too, seeing as he was one of the older residents of the town. Raeger shook his head, now was not the time to see Klaus as an outsider, now was the time to bring Klaus to his senses.

"Please sit. Would you like a cup of tea?" Klaus asked. Raeger wondered if being polite came before pride in Klaus's list of priorities. After all, if their roles were reversed, Raeger's first instinct would've been to punch him, not offer him a hot cup of tea.

Raeger sat down in Klaus’s purple sofa and resisted the urge to laugh. The color had to be the work of Iris, there was no way Klaus could’ve chosen the furniture. "No, thanks. I'm actually here to talk to you." Raeger could've sworn he saw a muscle in Klaus's face twitch. "I'm here to talk about Haruka.” Oh boy, now he _knew_ he saw the muscle on Klaus’s face twitch, how amusing.

“I do not think that would be prudent right now.” Klaus swiftly said, busying himself with pouring a cup of tea for himself. Raeger thought Klaus was doing a really good job at concealing his emotions, after all, Raeger could barely see his hands shaking. When he finished pouring the tea he set a cup in front of Raeger and sat down. “Did Iris put you up to this?” His voice was filled with so many emotions Raeger could not pinpoint all of them.

Raeger awkwardly sipped his tea and nearly choked. Ugh, bitter. Did Klaus know Raeger had a sweet tooth? Was this some sort of small revenge? Was he overthinking bitter tea? Maybe. He coughed to try and get rid of the taste without much success.

Klaus smirked and slid the sugar across the table to Raeger. Oh, so it was revenge! Bitter, bitter revenge! With a resentful ‘thanks’ Raeger began spooning alarming amounts of sugar into his tea, not really knowing if it would help the taste. “So she did put you up to this, right?”

Klaus’s gaze held an intensity Raeger was not accustomed to so broke eye contact and sipped his tea again. “Not really no.” He said, sticking his tongue out because the taste hadn’t really improved.

“You do not have to protect her, you know? I am getting tired of her trying to fix this.”

The harsh tone of his voice awoke something in Raeger, “I would appreciate if you didn’t talk about her like that, she has nothing to do with this.” The words had come without warning, but he still stood by them. Iris was his friend, however new, and he protected his friends.

Klaus stared at him with wide eyes before giving him a small smile. “Ah, I apologize. It seems I have bad-mouthed my friend once again.”

Raeger had to consciously stop himself from asking ‘Again?’, he didn’t want to push Klaus so much. “It’s okay, it’s just…” That he was fiercely protective of his friends? Klaus didn’t need to know that, right?

Klaus smiled knowingly at him, “You care about your friends, I know.” At the look of confusion in Raeger’s face Klaus added, “Ah, she may have mentioned it once or twice.”

A blush crept up Raeger’s cheeks. Haruka had told Klaus about him? He was both flattered and terrified, just how much did Klaus know? “That’s…Good to know I suppose.” He said, putting his fears aside and remembering the reason he had waited for almost an hour under the snow. “I’m not here to talk about Iris or myself. I’m here to talk about-”

“Her,” Klaus interrupted, his whole body stiffening.

A pang of annoyance shot through Raeger, “At least say her name, will you? Or are you so afraid of it?” Raeger expected Klaus to back down, to apologize again and say he would call Haruka by her name.

So it was much to Raeger’s surprise to see Klaus frowning, his mouth a stubborn line. “I do not want to.”

It took a couple seconds for Raeger to overcome his surprise. “Why?” He said, dumbfounded that Klaus would admit to not wanting to call Haruka by her name. Just what kind of defense mechanism was this?

“I…” Klaus hesitated, biting his lip so hard that Raeger was amazed when blood _didn’t_ come out. “I think it is time for you to go.” He quickly rose from his chair, picking up Raeger’s unfinished cup of tea and taking it to the sink. The cups clinked loudly against each other, it was as if they were threatening to break if they didn’t receive better treatment.

The air grew cold around them, almost as if Klaus’s words had opened a window and chased the warmth away. One thing was clear, though, Raeger was no longer welcomed. He wondered if he had ever been, really, with Klaus’s reluctance to let him in and everything.

Raeger stood up in silence, feeling guilty at his failure. What had he been thinking? He shouldn’t have come here alone. Terrible thinking on his part really. He should’ve brought Iris with him, after all, she was the one who knew him the most. He suddenly recalled what Iris told him about Klaus ‘ _He doesn’t love himself as much as he should_ ’ and everything clicked.

“Hey…” Raeger started, carefully choosing his words to avoid sounding condescending, which, surprisingly, happened a lot.

Klaus didn’t turn around but Raeger saw his shoulders tense. “I thought I told you to-”

“No, you have to listen to me!” He snapped, the bitterness of Haruka’s avoidance of him and Pumpkin’s betrayal coming back at full force. If he couldn’t talk sense into Haruka, he would preach to the other one who had been dumb enough to open the door. “I don’t care what you said, I will not go until you listen to me.”

It wasn’t a question, not even a threat. So Raeger pressed on, not waiting for a response Klaus was not about to give. “I know don’t know each other, and I know I said some hurtful things.” Perhaps hurtful was an understatement, after all, if Klaus’s life was a book, Raeger would definitely be an antagonist. “But this isn’t about you or me, this is about Haruka, and she needs you.” Raeger said the words with two objectives in mind, convincing Klaus and convincing _himself_.

Sure, he wanted to believe that the moment Klaus stepped on Haruka’s doorstep she would immediately open the door, forget about everything and come back to the real world, but that was unlikely, as well as completely unrealistic. Still, he could hope, right?

“She does not need me,” Klaus said, turning around to look at Raeger and leaning on the sink. “She needs someone she can rely on, someone who can be with her without the world frowning down on it.” He paused as if preparing himself to say something extremely difficult. “She needs someone like Fritz…That is what is best for her…”

Raeger scoffed, he knew Klaus would try and pity his way out of the conversation, Iris had told him as much, but he hadn’t actually expected for Klaus to bring Fritz into this. “I thought Fritz was what was best for her too, you know that.” Klaus stiffened at his words telling Raeger that yes, he knew that. “But I’ve come to realize that I don’t know what’s best for Haruka, and neither do you. Only Haruka knows what’s best for her.” Klaus’s eyes widened but he still said nothing. “And no matter what anyone tells her, she has chosen you.” That, at the very least, was very clear to Raeger. “I would advise you to stop trying to convince yourself that you’re doing her a favor and go to her.” And with one look at Klaus, he walked out of the house, leaving the other man in silence.

The door closed quietly behind him, cutting Raeger from the only source of warmth around and making him shiver. He wrapped his arms around himself, he had done the right thing, hadn’t he? He hoped he had given Klaus the push he needed to go to Haruka, if not, well, he could always buy new plates.

 

* * *

 

 The snow had stopped falling but the wind, unforgiving as ever, was stinging Klaus’s eyes. How long had it been since he had taken a walk? Too long according to his aching legs. He quickened his pace, his breath now coming out in desperate gasps. If he hurried he would be able to reach her house before midnight…

 

* * *

 

 "And in we go." A man said, his silver hair glinting in the sunlight as he pushed a cow into a fenced area. "Enjoy the sunlight." He called in a voice full of affection that no one but his family and their animals had ever heard. He made his way through the snow to the house that stood proudly at the edge of the farm.

He opened the door and called a quick 'I'm home' that was met with silence. He looked up in confusion, Chelsea should be home by now. A quick scan of the house revealed his wife sitting at the table hunched over a piece of paper. Her hand was gliding from side to side, littering the paper with words.

 _Ah, she's writing,_ he thought. She always ignored him when she was writing. He used the word 'ignore' lightly since she wasn't doing it with malice. It was just that she was so concentrated in the story that she barely noticed anything else, being him, the kids or an earthquake.

The fire crackled merrily in the fireplace as he strolled through the room towards his wife. He placed a quick kiss on the top of her head and went to the kitchen, he could use a snack. "Vaughn," she said. It wasn't a question, more like an acknowledgment of his presence. He needn't respond, but he still hummed in agreement. It was all he could do since his mouth was occupied with chewing an apple. "Sorry, I didn't notice you coming in." Chelsea dropped her pencil and went to him, wrapping her arms around his waist, the most comfortable place she could reach.

Vaughn's heart skipped a beat. After all these years, she still made him feel like this. He rested his chin on the top of her head, ah, she was so tiny. "It's okay. Don't stop writing, the inspiration will go away." He half-joked, he knew inspiration was a fickle mistress.

The soft chuckle from Chelsea made his head bobble up and down. "I don't know what you're talking about. I have a firm grasp on mine." She hugged him tighter to drive her point across. She could be so cheesy sometimes.

The door swung open and a young man came in, his appearance strongly resembled his father, all but his hair which was as blonde as his mother's, at least beneath the brown dye. "I've got mail!" He announced, scraping the snow from his work boots.

Chelsea let go of Vaughn at once, rushing to her eldest son and grabbing the numerous letters. Most of them were bills or invitations to award parties that she would never attend. She almost wondered how many years more would she had to endure until they stopped inviting her, perhaps when she stopped writing. It wasn't until the end of the pile that she found the one she was looking for.

A plain white envelope simply addressed to 'Elysia Farm' from her daughter, Haruka. Chelsea threw the rest of the letters on the table, there would be time for them later. The envelope was quickly torn and the letter was already in her hands when Vaughn rested his chin on her head again. Together, they began to read.

_Dear Mother, Father, and Ibuki if he is there,_

_Hi, I'm writing to tell you that Eda has passed away on the first of Winter. She left me her farm which I've planned to get up and running as soon as possible. I'll look like Mother running around all day, I can't wait (sarcasm). I'm doing fine and hope you are too. I miss you guys._

_Love, Haruka._

As the avid reader she was, Chelsea finished first and patiently waited for Vaughn. One grunt later she knew Vaughn had finished. She turned to look at him and raised her eyebrows. Vaughn understood this to say 'Well?' and was taken aback. Was something wrong with the letter? The important points that he had gathered were that 1) The senior farmer she often spoke about had passed, 2) That she had been left another piece of land and 3) That she was doing fine. None of those were nothing to worry about, right?

Still, he needed to answer Chelsea's unspoken question. "I'm glad she's doing fine?" He said, inwardly cringing at Chelsea's frown.

"She's not doing fine." She stated with such confidence in her voice that Vaughn didn't question her.

"Where do you get that from?" Ibuki, who had taken the letter from his mother's hands, asked. "All this says is that she's doing fine." Vaughn didn't say it out loud, but he agreed with his son. Anything else Chelsea had gathered from the letter she would have to explain.

And explain she did when she snatched the letter from Ibuki's grasp. "Here," she pointed at a spot below Haruka's writing.

Vaughn narrowed his eyes as if to see better, Ibuki even craned his neck to get a closer look, but neither of them could discern what Chelsea was pointing at. Both men looked at each other, there was confusion in their eyes, but there was also understanding. It wasn't uncommon for Chelsea to see things they didn't, little details that no one would pay attention to.

Their brief glance was not lost in Chelsea who huffed in exasperation. She didn't like when people didn't understand what she meant, it happened often. "Water damage," she stated, earning her an annoyed look from her husband. Just how in the world had she imagined that he would catch that? He wasn't a paper expert or anything like that. "Probably from tears…Yeah, given that Eda passed away…" She murmured to herself, not bothering to address her family since they wouldn't understand anyway.

"She probably spilled some water or something…" offered Ibuki, who was as simple when it came to this stuff as his father. They didn't go searching for clues beneath the surface or search for patterns in things, for them the simpler something was, the better. Vaughn wanted to voice his agreement with his son but he also loved his wife, so he settled with silence.

"Two!" exclaimed Chelsea, ignoring Ibuki. "The letter's too short. She usually writes on the whole page, not to mention on the back!"

"Maybe she didn't have that much to say…" Ibuki offered again, this time Chelsea shot him a reproachful look. Vaughn had to admire his son's spirit, even if he did agree with Chelsea that the letter was unusually short.

"And finally!" She pointed at the paper again with triumph on her face, this time at the last sentence of the letter.

 _I miss you guys_ , it read. Vaughn didn't see anything wrong with that, had Haruka hidden a code there?

Ibuki chuckled, "Ah, but of course. There's something wrong with her because she misses us. How could I miss that?" He smacked himself hard in the forehead. "Mom give the letter back. You're obviously seeing things that aren't there because you have nothing to do in Winter."

Vaughn, who kind of agreed with Ibuki's theory still considered this to be a low blow. "Ibuki, don't talk to your mother like that." He fixed him with a stern gaze which Ibuki didn't return. He knew his son meant no harm but he still had to put his foot down every now and then. "Chelsea, explain yourself."

A wide grin spread across her face, "Ah, well you see, she never ends her letters with 'I miss you guys'." She said, enjoying every word. She liked explaining her string of thought to other people, even if it angered her when they couldn’t follow, she was complicated like that. "She always ends them with 'Wish you were here'." Her voice carried the finality that meant Ibuki and Vaughn would have to ask for the rest of the explanation, because to her, what she had just given made perfect sense.

"Can we have the sequel, please?" Ibuki asked with slight amusement.

Chelsea pursed her lips, clearly torn between annoyance that they didn't understand her brilliance and her desire to make them understand. "'Wish you were here' is an invitation, she wants us there. 'I miss you guys' means that she loves us, yes, but she wants us to stay put. Which probably means she is not doing fine." Vaughn wondered how much of the explanation was his wife and how much of it was the writer, perhaps it had a little bit of both. "She's prideful, you know that. Wonder where she got that from." She looked at Vaughan, a playful glint in her eyes.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Vaughn hugged Chelsea, ignoring Ibuki rolling his eyes in the background. "What do you want to do then?" He asked, knowing that Chelsea wouldn't have deeply analyzed a piece of paper for nothing.

The room grew quiet as they waited for her answer. Vaughn knew she was looking for the right words. Unlike most people, Chelsea always thought before she spoke, which often meant short pauses when talking to her. "I want to go visit her."

Vaughn's eyes widened and Ibuki actually gasped. "Are you serious?" Ibuki exclaimed.

"Yes I am," Chelsea answered calmly. "Plus, we haven't seen her in years, so maybe this is for the best."

"Mother, this is ridiculous, who will take care of the farm?" Vaughn noticed that Ibuki had changed from 'Mom' to 'Mother', he must be angry. "We can't just leave the farm unattended!"

Chelsea waved her hand dismissively, "It's Winter, there are no crops. We can ask Mark to look after the animals…" She was clearly already making plans despite Ibuki's less than ideal attitude.

Vaughn wrinkled his nose at the sound of Mark's name, he hated that guy. "No," he said firmly. He wasn't about to let Mark come anywhere near their farm. "We can ask Elliot."

Chelsea smirked. She knew of her husband's distaste of Mark, had she done that on purpose? "Yeah, alright. I'll ask him. It's settled then!"

Ibuki looked mutinous, "Mother, no. Father! Do something about it!" Chelsea moved her blue eyes to look at him. Those were the same eyes Haruka had inherited. He felt a sudden longing to see his daughter.

"I'd like to see Haruka too." Was all he needed to say to make Ibuki understand that he had lost. Still, he wanted his son to understand that this would be fun! "And, we can think of this as a family vacation!"

Vaughn's words were lost in Ibuki who had stalked off before his father could finish. He slammed the door after him, leaving his parents in a short-lived shock.

"Think he'll be okay?" Vaughn asked, hugging Chelsea from behind and resting his chin on her head again, it really was his favorite position.

Chelsea sighed and relaxed into the hug. "He'll get over it. He's probably already regretting his little outburst." Vaughn agreed, the duration of Ibuki's anger was as short as a turnip's cycle.

They stood in silence for a while, relishing each other's presence. He was happy, he really was, but something felt off. It wasn't like Chelsea to suddenly spring a family vacation like this. If there was something he knew about his wife was that she wasn't impulsive. Everything she did was planned. So, suggesting to drop everything for a few days just because she read a letter? That wasn't normal. "What are you really after?" He breathed into his wife's ear.

Chelsea stiffened.  _Bingo._ Vaughn moved around so that he could see her face. Chelsea might as well have 'Guilty' written on her forehead because she looked like a kid who had been caught trying to take another cookie from the jar. "Ah, seems you know me too well." It sounded almost like she regretted the fact. Which she probably did, she had been such a reserved person before they met.

"Please explain?"

With a deep sigh and a quick bite of the lip, she said, "He has issues with her." As typical, she didn't bother explaining what kind of issues Ibuki had with his sister but Vaughn didn't voice his thoughts. "I want them resolved."

Vaughn sighed, he would give everything he had to understand how Chelsea's mind worked. "You didn't have to make a show out of the letter, though." He pointed out and was surprised when a soft chuckle came from her.

"Ah well, Ibuki's right." Vaughn looked at her in confusion and Chelsea smiled devilishly at him. "I do get bored in Winter."


	19. Cold

The moon shone high in the sky, illuminating the snow-veiled field and tempting Pumpkin to go out. All the pets in town were going to have a little reunion over at Mittens's house, and Pumpkin had been invited. All his friends would be there, Luna, Noodle, Max and even Shadow, the cat who never socialized. There would probably be yummy food too and lots and lots of treats and-

But no. Pumpkin couldn't go, not when his human needed him. Pumpkin didn't really understand the specifics, but he knew his human was sad. He could see it in her eyes, and he could sense it in the way she cuddled him. They weren't happy cuddles; they were sad cuddles that more often than not, ended in his human crying her eyes out. Pumpkin had tried different ways of cheering her up, bringing her tasty fish, plenty of branches and even a glittering jewel he had found on the ground, but nothing seemed to work.

Pumpkin looked out the window, resting his head on his front paws. He wished he knew what would make his owner happy. He disliked seeing her lie immobile in bed for hours at a time. He had to do something, anything. Pumpkin placed his paw on the cool glass and pushed. The window opened with a tiny 'pop,' letting the cold from the outside seep into the room. Pumpkin looked at the cocoon of blankets that was his owner and made up his mind. There was a world of stuff out there conveniently placed on the ground for him to take and if he didn't know which one would make his owner happy, then he would have to bring her all of them.

* * *

The clock struck midnight just as Haruka woke up. She shut her eyes and clutched the covers tighter. She didn't want to get up. Getting up would mean moving, working and generally existing, which she wasn't in the mood to right now. She wanted to go back to the dream world where everything was nice and warm, and Eda wasn't-

Haruka stopped her train of thought. Thinking about Eda would only lead to her chest aching and her eyes watering. She had barely managed to not cry for 8 hours, and she wasn't about to break her streak. What she needed right now was Pumpkin.

Haruka opened her eyes in search of her cat but was instead greeted by complete darkness. How odd, she usually woke up to the sun rising on the horizon and birds chirping. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes with one hand while the other patted the wall in search for the light switch.

The lights sprung to life, and it took Haruka a while to realize that it was a little past midnight and that she was very alone. "Pumpkin?" She called with an edge of fear in her voice. "Pumpkin?" She called again, this time patting the sheets in hopes of hearing an annoyed meow.

Haruka panicked, where could Pumpkin be? He couldn't be gone, the door was closed and the windows- She stopped. There, in front of her, was the window that she had neglected to lock when Raeger came. Haruka froze, Pumpkin could've opened it and leaped out. Pumpkin could've easily left her just like- _No. Nononono_ -

_Thud_. Haruka was on her knees, arms wrapping tightly around herself and lungs screaming for air. She tried to calm herself, managing a couple of deep breaths before the thought of 'Pumpkin is gone' assaulted her once more. _Darn, no, no._ She needed to relax.

Haruka clenched her teeth and started. One, two- _Pumpkin is gone_ \- three, four- _He abandoned you-_ five, six- _Who wouldn't really?_ Air! She needed air! She quickly scrambled across the ground to the door and blasted it open. She lost her balance and fell face first onto the snow.

For a moment, she just lay there, gulping large mouthfuls of freezing air to cleanse her anxiety away. It wasn't long before her breaths became even, more relaxed. She sighed, relieved but angry with herself. She had survived another panic attack, yes, but it had been years since she'd had one.

A feeling akin to shame settled in her stomach. Haruka knew it wasn't her fault, her mother had told her as much, but there was still a part of her that was a little humiliated every time it happened. She rolled onto her back and looked at the sky. It was full of stars, all of them twinkling down at her, reminding her of the times she would go stargazing with her family.

Longing settled in her chest, chasing the last remnants of her anxiety away. Haruka sighed, she wanted to drop everything and go back to the island, to the safety of her family and old friends. And after Veronica came to her with the news of Eda's passing she almost did. The news hit her like a truck, and just like a hit and run victim, she felt her life seeping away.

Once Veronica had left, Haruka considered packing her bags and taking the first ferry off to the island. But she couldn't go without attending Eda's funeral, so she waited. After the funeral, Haruka packed her bags and was about to leave before she remembered that there weren't any traders in town and couldn't leave her animals just like that, so she waited.

The day she knew Asche would be in town, her bags were by the door, and she was ready to go, but when she opened the door, she found her favorite dish, wrapped in plastic, with a yellow post-it stuck to it that read, 'Hope you're feeling better. -R'. The little gesture moved her to tears, and so she stayed.

The food came every day without fail. Each dish was accompanied with a 'We miss you' or 'Smile (:' She even received a 'We'll get through this.' That was the routine for a couple of days, Raeger would keep her fed, and she would drown herself with work in both farms. All the plans she had thought of on Eda's kitchen table came to fruition because of her hard work and dedication.

Still, every morning was a struggle. Every morning Haruka had to bully herself out of bed and get to work. She had chosen to stay, so she couldn't just stay in bed and watch her farm go down the drain. So, every morning she would get up, despite the pain in her chest, and do her chores. Wake up, work, cry and go to sleep, that was her life.

Haruka frowned, that was no life at all. "Raeger's right," She said, breaking the silence of the night. "I can't crumble like this. What would Eda say?" Her lip trembled, Eda would be so disappointed if she could see Haruka right now.

Haruka stood up, brushing away the snow. She wanted to stop, she really did, but how can you stop something you don't fully understand? She bit her lip, why did everything have to be easier said than done? Ah well, even if she couldn't be entirely happy again, she could at least try.

* * *

What happens when an out of shape old man tries to walk long distances on the snow? Leg cramps, leg cramps happen. Klaus hissed, massaging his right leg with one hand and holding snow against it with the other. He should've waited until morning. He should've taken a break when his body demanded it. He should've joined a ball game sooner.

Klaus should've done a lot of things, but he didn't, and now he was paying the painful consequences. He gritted his teeth; there was no point in worrying about the things he hadn't done, what he needed right now was more snow.

The pain took a while to subside, only leaving small muscle twitches and a couple of teeth marks behind. Klaus slowly stood up, his calf muscle sore after the cramp. It was well past midnight, and it was unlikely that Haruka would be up, his little incident had cost him precious time. "I should go back…" He whispered to himself as he limped forward. "I should really go back," he said, putting a little more weight on his right leg and walking towards Haruka's farm, doing, perhaps for the first time in a long time, what he wanted rather than what he needed.

Despite past exaggerations, Klaus hadn't taken that long nursing his leg back to health, but at the time he arrived at Haruka's farm, it was snowing again. He looked at the house. Even from far away he could tell that the lights were off, but there was an excited feeling in his stomach that propelled him forward, leaving footprints in the previously undisturbed snow.

Klaus stood in front of Haruka's house. He wanted to knock on the door and convince Haruka to come out. It suddenly struck him how foolish this idea was. Even if by some miracle Haruka answered the door, what would he say? What could he possibly say that Raeger hadn't said already? Klaus hadn't really thought this through.

Well, I am already here, might as well try, Klaus thought, softly knocking on the door. No answer. He knew that was to be expected, but it didn't stop the disappointment from settling in. He knocked again, louder this time, but the result was the same. Perhaps Haruka was already asleep? It was late, after all.

Maybe I should come back tomorrow, Klaus told himself, turning around and making his way back. He stopped. Technically speaking, it was already tomorrow, right? So nobody would blame him if he knocked again, right? So he did. He knocked again and again until his knuckles were sore and he was sure he would've woken up the neighbors if there were any, but there was still no response from inside the house.

Annoyance shot through Klaus, Haruka couldn't possibly sleep through all the ruckus he'd just made, she was ignoring him. He considered letting the door feel his wrath again, but what good would that do? Haruka would ignore him all the same; he needed a different approach, more personal. "Haruka?" He called, letting her name fall from his lips. It had been so long since he'd said her name, it should feel foreign, different. It should definitely not feel familiar, not like it was meant for him to say it, not like it belonged.

The answer came immediately, and Klaus nearly jumped in surprise. It wasn't what he had been expecting, though. First of all, the answer didn't come from the house, it came from behind him, and secondly, it wasn't Haruka, heck, the answer didn't even originate from a human. Klaus whirled around so quickly he almost lost his footing and saw a ginger ball of fur standing on the snow. The cat's mouth was full of glittering stones, but it had still managed to meow.

"Ah…" muttered Klaus, unsure of what to do. Was this Haruka's cat? Or was it just a stray? Why was the cat holding jewels? And why in the world was the cat meowing at him? So many questions and no answers!

The cat carefully dropped the jewels in the snow, as if not to damage them. "Meooow," it said. Said? Enunciated? Klaus was not sure about that, but he was sure the cat was watching him expectantly as if it was waiting for him to answer back.

"I…I was about to leave?" Klaus said, unsure of what the cat wanted him to answer.

"Meeow, meoow," it said, cocking its head to the side in a gesture that greatly reminded Klaus of Haruka. Klaus went silent, were all cats like that? Did all cats stare you down with eyes that seemed to look into your soul? Klaus didn't know; he'd never had much experience with cats. The only one he knew was Mittens, Mistel's cat, and even then, Mittens was rarely home, often wandering outside rather than napping on the couch.

The silence stretched between the two of them until it became unbearable. "I have to go…" Klaus said, inwardly thanking the Harvest Goddess that there was no one around to see him surrender to a cat.

"Meow," the cat said dismissively, picking up the jewels. It walked past Klaus, tail high in the air and swinging proudly. He didn't know if it was because of the cat's cheek, or because he didn't have anything to lose, but Klaus suddenly spoke.

"Do you know where Haruka is?" Klaus asked, vaguely aware that he had just asked a cat for help.

The cat stopped and looked at him, eyes appraising him. Klaus breath hitched, could this cat tell him…? The cat suddenly leaped into the window and disappeared inside the house. Klaus was left outside, dumbfounded, alone and cold.

"Figures…" Klaus murmured to himself. He was feeling a bit annoyed, both at the cat and at himself. He had done a thousand foolish things in the past hours, but asking a cat to advice had to take some sort of prize. He turned around because he didn't think his pride could take another blow. He would come back tomorrow.

"Meow!" Klaus stopped dead in his tracks. "Meooow," no way. The cat appeared again, this time jewel-free. "Meow," it said again as it walked towards the river, tiny paws leaving equally tiny footprints in the snow. Klaus couldn't explain why, but he knew he had to follow the cat, so he did.

* * *

A tombstone made of white marble, cold to the touch, unlike the person it had been built for, that was Eda's final resting place. It was adorned with colorful flowers that Haruka doubted would survive the Winter and it was located near the river Eda loved.

The tomb was pretty, beautiful even, but the beauty was lost in Haruka's teary eyes. So much for 8 hours without crying. Haruka knelt in front of the tomb, resting her forehead on the cold marble. "I miss you so much." She said, the tears spilling silently from her eyes and forming gray spots on the marble.

An immense feeling of loneliness engulfed her, making her chest hurt for the second time today. "It's been almost a week, and I can't get over the feeling that I'll never see you again." She whispered, acutely aware that she was talking to no one. No, she wasn't talking to no one, her words were still directed towards Eda, the only difference was that there was no one to listen anymore.

Ugly sobs escaped Haruka's lips, shaking her whole body with grief. "I feel so alone." She wrapped her arms around herself, longing for someone's company. She regretted shutting Raeger out, which only fueled her worries, what if he had given up on her? What if he no longer saw her as a friend? Honestly, Haruka wouldn't blame him- No, she couldn't afford to think like that. "Why do I do this to myself?" She wondered.

Footsteps resounded behind her. Haruka quickly turned around, expecting to find Pumpkin or Bolt, perhaps even a wild dog, but not _him_.

* * *

Klaus wasn't sure what made him approach Haruka. It could've been her tears, her proclamation of being alone, or maybe just the pure longing he had felt when he finally saw her. Perhaps it had been all three. But there he was, standing in front of the girl that was much too young for him, too pure.

Under the glimmering moonlight, Klaus could make out all of Haruka's features. The purple bags under her eyes, her hollow cheeks, her unkempt hair and even the tear stains that ran along her face. It suddenly struck Klaus how beautiful Haruka was.

"Have I finally snapped?" Haruka murmured so quietly that Klaus was sure he wasn't meant to hear it. The invisible hand he was well acquaintanced with, squished his heart a little. It was one thing to have Haruka be mad at him, but it was another matter entirely that she thought she was crazy because she believed he would never have come see her.

"Haruka," Klaus said, taking a tentative step forward.

Haruka shook her head as if to rid it of some unpleasant thought, "You even sound like him..." Klaus noticed Haruka was crying again. Maybe she hadn't actually stopped, but he couldn't take it. He no longer wanted to be the reason behind those tears.

The snow crunched beneath his feet as he rushed forward, driven only by his desire of comforting Haruka. Klaus knelt beside her, reaching out for a hand that flinched away. "No," she said, her voice as soft as the snow falling between them, "I don't want the illusion to fade."

His chest tightened. Even now, even pain-stricken and miserable, Haruka remained innocent. He came to the conclusion that he wouldn't force her, so he extended his palm in front of her, just like she had done a season ago.

Haruka stared at Klaus's hand. Confusion made her furrow her brows until a memory popped into her mind. A flash of recognition passed over her face, and Klaus knew she remembered. Haruka giggled, well, not really a giggle, more like a choked sound, but Klaus knew it had humor behind it.

"To see you're not made out of glass?" Haruka asked unable to keep the amusement out of her voice, but she shyly raised her hand. Little by little she shortened the distance, only stopping before truly touching him. "I don't-" she started, but Klaus could bear the distance no longer.

Klaus embraced her, forgetting his restraint and the point he was trying to make. He heard Haruka gasp, probably because she wasn't expecting the hug, but he didn't let go. Klaus wanted to convey his feelings through the hug, all the jumble of emotions and unsaid apologies.

The moment was perfect, and Klaus wanted to stop time. He wanted to stay like that forever, with Haruka in his arms, or at least within arm's reach. He certainly didn't want Haruka shoving him and walking away, but she still did anyways.

"Wait!" Klaus called, scrambling to his feet to catch up. Why would Haruka push him away? Weren't they just celebrating their reunion with a warm hug? Hadn't they relished in each other's presence just now? Wasn't Haruka as overjoyed to see him here as he was to see her?

"Haruka!" Klaus called again when Haruka didn't slow down. He caught up with her soon enough, his legs being way longer than hers, and grabbed her by the arm to make her face him. She slapped his hand away but stopped. "What is wrong?" He asked. Haruka faced downwards, her eyes glued to the floor and murmured something. "Sorry, come again?"

Haruka's eyes snapped up, and Klaus flinched. He had been expecting Haruka to look at him in sadness, or surprise, perhaps even a little disappointment, not...anger, and defiance. "I said, you don't get to do this," she spat through clenched teeth.

A chill ran down Klaus's spine. "Wha-what do you mean?" He asked even though he knew the answer already.

"You don't get to come here, hug me, say some sweet words, and act like nothing had happened!" Haruka lashed out, pointing every word with a smack to Klaus's chest. Tears sprouted from her eyes, "You don't get to disappear for a whole season and then come barging into my life again!"

The blows hurt. Every tiny fist left behind pain, but Klaus couldn't bring himself to make Haruka stop. He deserved this. He deserved the pain and her anger. 

"You don't get to hurt me like this," Haruka slowed down, but the tears didn't stop. "You don't get to destroy me, and then come back and pick up the pieces." She sobbed into her hands.

Klaus embraced Haruka once again. She struggled to get out of the embrace, murmuring a string of 'let go's and threats like 'I'll punch you.' But he held his ground, hugging her tighter every time she spoke.

After a while, Haruka stopped. Her limp arms fell to her sides, and her head rested on Klaus's shoulder. She was breathing deeply, just like Klaus had done when he had asked her permission to smell her. It was that small gesture that gave him the courage to speak.

"I am sorry," Klaus said. He could feel Haruka snort, and he quickly continued before she could interrupt. "I know that is too little and too late. But it all comes down to that, does it not?" Haruka sighed, and he took it as a sign to continue. "I am a weak old man, Haruka."

Klaus's voice carried an incredible sadness that no matter how angry Haruka was, her instincts to protect him triggered, "You're not-"

"I am also a coward," He continued, ignoring Haruka and squeezing her tighter. "I thought I was doing what was best for you. I thought I was protecting you."

Haruka tensed again, ready to give him a piece of her mind, but Klaus suddenly held her at arm's length. "I know, I know that I was wrong." He cradled her face, running his thumbs across the cheeks he so genuinely loved. "I now realize that I was not trying to protect you, I was trying to protect myself."

Klaus's voice cracked every now and then, and tears threatened to spill, but he knew he couldn't cry, not now. Not when Haruka so desperately needed someone to be there for her. He put their foreheads together and closed his eyes. "I am sorry," he mumbled again and again. "I should have never left you."

Without looking at Haruka's reaction to his words, Klaus lowered himself onto his knee, reaching for her hand and holding it to his lips. "Haruka, I will not run away anymore. I will stay by your side." He said, his voice full of determination. It then hit him that he was doing the same as before, deciding on his own without asking what she thought, so he hastily added. "That is if you will let me, of course."

This was it. Klaus had said his part. He had spilled his guts to Haruka. All that was left was her answer. Would she take him back or would she cast him aside?  Whatever her decision, Klaus found that his chest felt lighter, less crowded with unsaid feelings and withheld emotions. He couldn't comprehend why he didn't do this sooner.

Silence stretched between them. Klaus's heart sped up, silence was good, right? It meant she was at least thinking it over. He looked up to examine her face, but he got nothing because, somewhere between him kneeling down and confessing to her, Haruka had covered her face with her free hand. He was tempted to call her name, but what good would that do?

Klaus waited, not caring about the snow piling on his shoulders. "I'm cold." Haruka murmured after a while. Klaus's eyes widened. What did she mean? "I'm cold," she repeated, this time louder.

Klaus furrowed his brows in confusion. What? Wait, oh. Haruka was stating that she was cold, and he hadn't offered her his coat, how rude of him. He sprung to his feet while taking off his green tailcoat and tightly wrapped it around Haruka.

The fact that Haruka was wearing his coat made Klaus happy; she was even clutching onto it! He couldn't stop the small smile that formed on his lips. This was progress, right? Klaus waited for Haruka to say something else. Perhaps she would tell him that she was going to think about forgiving him, that everything could go back to how it was.

Klaus waited for an answer that never came. Instead, Haruka extended her arms towards him in a silent plea that he had seen before, the night of the Fireworks Festival. Klaus reached for her as quickly as he could. He didn't want to give Haruka enough time to change her mind. He swept her off her feet, and she instinctively buried her face in the crook of his neck.

Haruka didn't tell Klaus where to go; she didn't need to, he already knew. He carried her through the snow all the way to her house before he hesitated. What now? "Haruka, we are here," he said, but the even breathing beneath him told Klaus that he was talking to the air.

In an amazing feat of strength, at least on his part, Klaus held Haruka on one arm and opened the unlocked door. Klaus suddenly became aware that it was the first time he saw the inside of Haruka's house. Whenever he had visited, Haruka had never invited him inside before, and him, being the gentleman he was, never asked either.

Once inside, Klaus hurried to lay Haruka on the bed. The bags under her eyes told him that she hadn't been having enough sleep. He put her down, being careful not to rouse her, and covered her with the fluffy white sheets.

Out of nowhere, Pumpkin appeared. The cat's watchful eyes were looking at Klaus, waiting for something. Klaus cleared his throat, secretly thankful that no one could see him right now, and said, "You have my gratitude."

Pumpkin blinked and meowed at him once before curling himself beside Haruka. Klaus sighed, was that a 'you're welcome?' Whatever it was, Klaus would take it.

A battle between Klaus's two most fundamental principles was being fought inside of him. One side wanted to leave. It was rude enough to be standing in a lady's house this late at night, let alone stay the night. The other part of him was arguing that he needed to remain here in the case that Haruka had a nightmare.

_Ah, decisions, decisions,_ Klaus thought.  He half wished that Haruka was awake to tell him what to do. He sighed, he should go, shouldn't he? No matter how accepting or forgiving Haruka was of him, he could not justify staying the night at her house. He would come back later, at a more reasonable hour, and talk it out with her. 

With one last look at Haruka's sleeping face, Klaus turned around to leave. Or at least he intended to before he noticed the tiny hand clutching to his shirt. Klaus tried to break himself free, but a murmured 'Don't go' stopped him. Even if it was sleepy talk, even if it wasn't directed at him, Klaus blushed. How incredibly cute.

Klaus could no longer leave now, could he? His lady had talked. If she didn't want him to go, he would not move an inch. He sat on the edge of the bed, committing to memory each detail of Haruka's face. Her eyes, her cheeks, even the way her lashes curled up, and somewhere through his admiration, he drifted off to sleep.


	20. Warm

The fog from sleep slowly dissipated as Haruka bordered consciousness. She didn't want to wake up. Her whole body was warm, and she felt happier than she had been all week. Haruka hugged Pumpkin tighter to her chest but immediately stopped when she felt Pumpkin hugging back.

"What?" Haruka murmured in surprise when she realized that she was pressed against, not her fluffy Pumpkin, but something way firmer. Her eyes shot open as memories of the night before came back into her mind. The blush that formed on Haruka's cheeks and all the way to her ears had nothing to do with what had happened last night. No, that shame would come later. Right now, she was more preoccupied with the position Klaus and she were in.

 Let's just say that if someone came in, the first thing that went through their minds wouldn't be 'he was offering her moral support after a week of self-loathing.' No, their current position begged for a misunderstanding with their tangled legs and arms around each other.

Pumpkin meowed loudly, effectively snapping Haruka out of her embarrassed daze. "Pumpkin?" She whispered, aware that her cat's disappearance had triggered her last panic attack. Pumpkin meowed again, this time with more urgency.  Haruka stretched her neck and saw her cat at the door, begging her to let him out.

"It didn't stop you last night..." She murmured somewhat bitterly as she wiggled her way out of Klaus's embrace. For someone who claimed to be 'too old,' his grip was firm. Haruka entertained herself with the thought that maybe his grip was firm because he didn't want to lose her, how sweet.

"Meooow," Pumpkin called, an impatient edge to his growl.

Slowly but surely, Haruka broke free, "Coming, coming," she said, climbing off the bed with careful movements since she didn't want to wake up Klaus. She opened the door for Pumpkin, who spared her one purr of gratitude before disappearing into the snow.

A glance at the clock told Haruka that she had woken up just in time to begin her morning routine. How odd, no matter how sleep deprived she was, she would always wake up at 6 am sharp. Old habits die hard, she supposed.

A couple of minutes and a quick shower later, Haruka was ready to go to work. With her tools in hand, she snuck one last glance at Klaus's sleeping face and left the house. She had considered waking him up, but she didn't know how much sleep he'd had, and honestly, she didn't want to 'talk,' at least not until she'd had breakfast.

 

* * *

 

There was darkness and nothing more. Wherever he looked at there was an endless void of nothingness. Left and right, up and down, nothing. Panic swelled in his chest. If only he could find her… If only Klaus could find Haruka, he was sure she would bring light with her the way Spring brought flowers, and the sun brought the day.

"Where are you?" He called, but not even his voice could escape the void. He ran forward, not really knowing which direction it was, but the darkness stretched as far as he could see. "Where are you?" He called again, this time louder, but just as before, nothing came. Klaus ran and ran, trying everything he could from changing directions to screaming louder. How crazy he must seem, but he needed to find Haruka, to know she was okay.

A faint shimmer caught Klaus's eye. Just a tiny flush of color, but he was already racing towards it. Panting, he ran towards her, and little by little, she began to take form. Her long hair shone in the same electric blue he had first seen her in. Klaus was almost there. He was so close he could almost touch her. He extended his hand, "Haruka!" His fingers brushed her shoulder before she disappeared.

Klaus woke up with a start. Haruka's name was still on his lips, fresh from the nightmare. His brows furrowed as he covered his face with his hands. He hated those dreams. The type that affected you even when you were awake as if you brought a piece of that reality into your own. The type you couldn't easily escape.

_Nightmares are awful_ , Klaus thought as he tried to calm himself. His heart was beating ten times faster, and he was sure that wasn't good for his health. "Haruka is safe," he whispered, "She is here with me," he continued, repeating it like a prayer. "She hasn't left me," he said, turning to look at Haruka's sleeping face but only finding an empty bed.

"What?" Even he could hear the incredulity in his voice. Last he remembered, Haruka was sleeping beside him. Sure, he had somehow managed to move from a sitting position to lying on the bed, but the fact remained that Haruka should be there.

The panic that he had tried so hard to get rid of came back with full force. Horrible thoughts plagued his mind. Explanation after explanation of Haruka's absence ran through his brain, each less likely than the next.

Finally, after several moments of telling himself to get a grip, he settled for the simplest one. Haruka must be at work, right? He thought, glancing at the clock and confirming his theory. His breathing became even, all was good.

Klaus slouched against the bed, Haruka's bed. He blushed, how very rude of him to spend the night with a lady. Truth to be told, he had been plenty rude since yesterday, but Klaus didn't regret a single thing. What a curious thing.

In his giddy state, Klaus allowed himself to look around the room. It was strange, really. He had imagined Haruka's home to be an explosion of color and randomness, just like her, but the reality was much different. Instead of colorful walls and mismatched furniture, he found himself in a sleek black and white room with matching furniture that would make Iris smile. A prickle of shame ran down his spine when he realized that Haruka, even in her depressed state, had managed to keep her room neat and tidy, something Klaus hadn't achieved. He recalled Iris coming into his room, forcing him to get up and noticing the pigsty he had been living in. The thought still made him shiver.

A sudden flash of inspiration made Klaus rise from the bed. He glanced at the clock once more, a little over 7 am, perfect. He hurried across the room towards the fridge, not bothering to put on his green tailcoat that now hung on a chair. The plan was simple, make Haruka breakfast and watch her face light up as she realized the surprise.

Klaus sorted through his memories with Haruka. Long ago (it was actually in Summer, but time is relative, and a lot had happened since then) he remembered eating omelets with her. She told him she had enjoy them. He smiled as he opened the fridge. The dish was simple enough, just some eggs, some diced onions, bits of carrot and-

_What?_ Klaus thought, staring at the insides of Haruka's fridge. Haruka was a farmer, that was a fact, so Klaus had expected her fridge to be stocked to the brim with fruits, vegetables, and other produce, not with pre-cooked meals tightly wrapped in plastic.

The dishes were messily stacked on top of each other, each begging for more space that the fridge could not give. Klaus took one out and noticed the little sticky note attached to it. 'Hope you get better,' it read. It was signed with only an R, but he knew it was from Raeger.

A stab of an ugly feeling made Klaus uncomfortable. Was this jealousy? Irrational jealousy, Klaus knew, but jealousy nonetheless. He gripped the plate tighter and bit the inside of his cheek. Fritz, Eda, Asche, Iris, and now even Raeger. Klaus paid little attention to Haruka's relationships with the other residents, but Raeger's gesture had opened his eyes to just how much Haruka was loved, and not only by him.

The realization should make him happy, and it sort of did. But it also made him want to monopolize Haruka more. Guilt swirled into the mix of emotions as he thought about how it should've been him bringing her nourishment instead of Raeger. It should've been him from the start. Klaus sighed, yes, there were a lot of things that should've been, but thinking about it would change nothing, so he resumed his search for ingredients.

"Are you hungry?" A voice behind him said, making him jump. Klaus turned around, instinctively closing the fridge's door as if to hide what he had been doing like a kid caught playing with something he shouldn't.

There, in the doorway, stood Haruka in full work gear and with tools in hand. Klaus's heart sped up, and he wondered if that was going to happen every time he saw her, the most probable answer was yes.

Haruka's presence made a million ideas run through Klaus's head. Should he address what happened yesterday? Should he apologize? Should he ask how she's doing? Should he- "I was going to make breakfast," he blurted out. Yes, perfect.

Haruka tilted her head to the side, "Why?"

Her words confused Klaus. What did she mean 'why?' Was she asking why was he still here? Did she want him gone? Was he overthinking all this? Maybe. "To eat?" He asked back. Well, he was just being a genius this morning, wasn't he?

A small smile formed on her lips, "You are hungry, then," Haruka said. Was she humoring him? After a bout of silence that Klaus couldn't find the words to break, she spoke again. "What were you planning on making?"

"Omelets," Klaus said. He wanted to explain himself, saying that he was merely looking for ingredients and that he wasn't snooping around. But he didn't trust his brain at the moment, and answering in short sentences had worked so far so... 

Haruka pursed her lips, "Okay," she replied simply, dropping her tools in a chest and making her way outside. Klaus panicked, had he angered her?

"Wait!" He didn't mean to shout, but the anxiety he felt in the dream came back in full force. Haruka turned to look at him, mildly surprised, with one hand still at the doorframe. "Where are you going?" Great, could he be any more pathetic?

His little outburst earned him a smile that he couldn't be sure wasn't mocking, "To get you your ingredients," Oh, of course. Yeah, that made sense. It was almost disappointing how much sense it made. What had Klaus expected?

An uncomfortable silence settled between them again. Klaus couldn't help but think that this was foreshadowing their future, and he hated it. He didn't want their relationship to become one of forced smiles and small talk about the weather. After all they'd been through, they deserved more, so much more.

"You can come if you want," Haruka said before vanishing from sight. Klaus stood frozen for a second, had he imagined that? No, no he hadn't. Before he knew it, he was out the door, the cold morning air hitting him square in the face. Oh right, it's Winter. With speed he didn't know he had, Klaus darted back in the house and retrieved his coat.

Catching up with Haruka was easy, she was just a couple paces away, well, a couple for him and several for her. Klaus adjusted his pace to match hers with ease, and soon, they were walking in unison. Klaus smiled, how perfect this was.

A rush of courage filled him. Haruka had invited him to come, right? That meant she was trying, trying to mend their relationship, to go back to how they were before. And if Haruka was trying, he, as a man, had to try twice as hard. "Where are we going?"

"To the Coop," Haruka jumped over the fence surrounding the area she kept her livestock. Klaus looked around (where was the entrance?) until he heard Haruka stifle a laugh. Klaus shot her a puzzled look, "I'm sorry. It's just..." She bit her lip, "You're looking for the entrance, aren't you?" 

Klaus frowned, "Naturally," he said, playing with the chain in his vest, a nervous habit. To his surprise, Haruka actually burst out laughing. Klaus didn't remember if he had ever heard such a sweet sound, or maybe he was just biased, but he couldn't help himself from laughing too.

"Sorry," Haruka said in between laughs, "Here," She offered him her hand, and he took it, perhaps a little too fast, but who cared, anyway? When he didn't move, she pulled him towards the fence and- Oh, ooh.

Klaus cleared his throat, "You want me to jump this fence?" He asked, already knowing the answer but dreading it nonetheless. What was Haruka thinking? He couldn't jump that fence, his days of vandalism were long over!

Haruka smiled like she had been expecting that question, "Naturally," she answered.

A smile almost escaped him, "Oh, ha ha ha, Miss Haruka,"

At this, Haruka laughed again, and Klaus loved being the reason behind her happiness. It made him feel warm and giddy inside, however sickening that may sound. She tugged again, "Come on, Mister Klaus, I won't tell anyone," she said, and she actually _winked_. Klaus was a weak, weak man.

As gracefully as a grown man could manage, Klaus jumped the fence. It wasn't that tall, and it shouldn't be that big of a deal, but up until now, Klaus had been living by a strict set of rules. 'Always be polite,' 'Always help those in need,' were some of the easiest ones. 'Never drink alcohol' gave him problems, since dinners with Iris almost always involved wine, so he had to modify that one. However, since Haruka came into his life, all his rules had gone out the window. Klaus still couldn't decide if that was a good or bad thing.

"Now, that wasn't so bad, was it?" Haruka asked.

"No, not at all," Klaus replied as dignified as a man that just made a big deal out of jumping a fence could. Haruka pulled him towards the Coop, ever once letting go of his hand.

As soon as the doors to the Coop opened, a blur of feathers shot through their legs. Klaus could imagine who the chicken was. Haruka huffed, "Ugh, give me a second," she said, breaking into a run and chasing after Bolt.

The Coop was neat and tidy, but larger than Klaus thought. Piles of hay on one side, a food dispenser on the other side, it even had treat dispensers! This was the coolest Coop Klaus had ever visited. It also was the only Coop Klaus had ever visited, so maybe he wasn't the right person to make comparisons.

"I'm back!" Haruka announced with an unruly chicken under her right arm. She put Bolt down, and after a couple of seconds standing still, Bolt bolted out the door again. Haruka sighed, "Yeah, well, what did I expect," she murmured, approaching the other chicken in the Coop.

"Who is that?" Klaus asked. Unlike Bolt, the other chicken was sitting comfortably atop a pile of hay. It was clucking softly without a care in the world.

"That's..." Haruka hesitated before mumbling something Klaus didn't catch.

"Sorry? I did not hear its na-"

"William!" Haruka blurted out, blushing furiously.

William? Why William? Oh, Klaus remembered, "Did you not say that William was not a good name for a chicken?"

"Yes, well I changed my mind," Haruka said, pushing past him to get to William. How cute, he was learning all sorts of stuff about Haruka.

 

The day passed in a whirl. Haruka showed Klaus around, explaining the proper way of brushing a cow and how precious her two sheep were. She also properly introduced him to Pumpkin.

"He's a very smart cat," Haruka said with the voice of a proud parent. Though, unlike some proud parents Klaus knew, Haruka did have a point.

"Yes, I know," Haruka looked like she was about to ask how on Earth did he know, so Klaus quickly enquired about the funny looking buildings on her farm.

"Ah, those are Maker Sheds..." Haruka then proceeded to explain each one, even offering to show Klaus the process.

 

The sun was well over their heads when they finished the tour, and the idea of having breakfast became sillier by the second.

"Should we each lunch instead?" Klaus offered

Haruka shook her head, "I'm not finished yet."

"What do you mean?" What could possibly be missing? They had gone around every bit of the farm, the crops, the trees, the animals, and even the sheds.

"I haven't tended to my rental fields," she said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

The 'rental fields' turned out to be land lots lent to the farmers by the Guild. So basically, Haruka had tiny bits of farm scattered across the map. Had she always been this busy? He couldn't remember. The only memories he had with Haruka were in their random encounters and tea dates. He felt a little embarrassed that Haruka knew all about his trade, but he had never bothered to ask about hers. That would change, he had to improve.

"Okay," Haruka said, emptying the contents of her watering can on the last Radish seeds. "Now, I'm done."

They were near the town now, they could go to Raeger's and have lunch there. Yes, that was an excellent idea. Haruka probably wanted to see her friends, plus Klaus hadn't yet offered his thanks to Raeger for giving him the push he needed.

"Should we head to the restaurant for lunch?" Klaus offered. He saw Haruka stiffen for a moment, so he added, "Or we could go someplace else, whatever you want."

Haruka relaxed and offered him a sheepish smile, "It's not...I'm just," She couldn't seem to translate her thoughts into words, so Klaus helped her out.

"You need more time?"

Haruka sighed in relief and nodded, "I'm sorry, I-" Klaus held one hand up, silencing her.

"There is no need to apologize, I understand. And I am sure your friends know too," Klaus caressed her cheek in a move so bold he surprised himself. He half expected Haruka to flinch away from the touch, but she actually leaned into it, covering his hand with her own.

"Can I be honest with you?" Haruka whispered.

Klaus was too distracted by the fact that Haruka had accepted his touch that he answered a simple "Yes."

"I really..." Haruka started but hesitated. Klaus snapped out of his dazed state at her hesitation. Was it something hard to say? What is she was about to tell him that his hands were sweaty? Oh God, were they? He hadn't even checked and- "hate omelets," she finished with a hint of a smirk on her lips.

Wait, "What?" he blurted out, surprised.

Haruka laughed, high and teasing, "I'm sorry, Klaus. I know the truth is harsh."

Haruka's words hit him and not in a good way. Klaus knew he should be relieved, happy even, that she hadn't gone on and told him 'I hate old men' or 'Please stop touching me.' But the pettiest part of him felt betrayed. "How can you say that?" He asked in disbelief. "We ate some together! You told me you enjoyed them!" His voice grew louder with each accusation, and so did Haruka's laughter.

Annoyed, Klaus tried to pull his hand away, but Haruka kept it in place. "Come on, don't get mad!" She sounded more amused than pleading.

"Why would you even lie about something like that?" Klaus said, Haruka's amusement abating his anger.

She smiled deviously at him, the same smile that she had when she invited him to the River party. "Well, sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do," She giggled into his hand, and a bunch of butterflies exploded in Klaus's stomach. What was he mad about again? "Come and cook for me," she said, pulling him towards the farm, and Klaus was happy to oblige.


	21. Strength

The smell of food swirled around Haruka's room. It was strong (and delicious) enough to make her mouth water in anticipation. She was sitting patiently at the dinner table since Klaus had once again insisted in cooking. She wasn't about to complain. In reality, she wasn't that much of a cook. Raeger and his restaurant played a major role in her daily survival. She wouldn't tell Klaus this, though.

Under Klaus's presence, her house transformed. It no longer was that cold place where she spent her time crying. It felt different, welcoming. She looked at Klaus, who was wearing a flowery apron (where did he get that?) and cooking something on the frying pan, and smiled.

A memory came to her. A memory of her parents in the exact same scenario. Her father cooking and her mother coming from behind and hugging him. Haruka smirked, she'd like to try that. Wait, no. She was young and reckless, why didn't she try that?

In a flash of movement, Haruka stood up and rushed to the kitchen, wrapping her arms around Klaus the moment she was close enough.

Klaus yelped, _cute_ , but to his credit, he didn't drop anything on the floor. Once he registered he wasn't under some sort of attack, he laughed. "What is wrong?" He asked, giving whatever he was cooking a flip.

Haruka said nothing, choosing to inhale his scent instead of answering. And God did he smell good. No, great! No, incredible! She couldn't decide. Klaus always wore a different scent. Haruka figured it was because of his trade, but really, how many scents could one man handle? The answer turned out to be a lot. Roses, lavender, vanilla, lemon, coconut, and her personal favorite, cinnamon. She even caught him one time smelling like freshly baked cookies, who knows where he got that one from. She hugged him tighter, and Haruka found herself wishing she could freeze the moment forever. It felt right, domestic, even. It felt like happiness.

_Something broke._

Tears streamed down her face, and sobs formed deep in her throat. Sadness took over her so fast that Klaus was caught entirely off guard. He asked a startled 'What?' that was answered with a heart-wrenching sob.

It took Klaus a second for the scene to register. Haruka was crying, he didn't know why, but he didn't need to know why. Klaus turned the stove off and wrapped his arms around Haruka quicker than the tears had come.

None of them said a thing. Klaus because he couldn't think of the right words to say, and Haruka because the brute force of her crying was shaking her whole body, talking would be impossible for a while. So they just stayed like that, Klaus in silence, and Haruka crying into his shoulder.

Seconds stretch into minutes, but Haruka couldn't stop. She wanted to, though, she really did. Crying like this in front of someone, especially Klaus, is not something she would normally do. "You don't know what it's been like," she said while she tightened her hold on him. If she was hurting him, he didn't complain.

Anger was suddenly thrown into the mix and match that were her emotions. Anger at Klaus, the world, everything, and everyone. Anger that she wanted to take out on him because why not? She was already crying her eyes out, might as well say everything she has been holding back.

"I thought you hated me," Haruka said, and she felt Klaus stiffen at her words. "I reached out to you. I figured you needed time, you know?" The tears didn't stop, but at least they slowed down. "But you ignored me. You closed the door, the door that you swore would always be open." Her voice was a mix of bitter resentment, and the rough edge crying left. "You disappeared from my life, and the last memory I had of you were all those awful things you said to me."

Klaus did not utter a single word in his defense. How could he? He didn't have any. Everything coming out of Haruka's mouth was true. It didn't matter that he was devasted as well. It didn't matter that he tried to do the right thing. Stories had more than one side, but that didn't make one side more justified than the other.

"I tried to hate you," she murmured. "Goddess did I try to hate you. My life would've been so much easier if I had succeeded." Her voice thickened, she knew what was coming, "And after Eda passed away, well I-" Her breath hitched. "It's killing me, Klaus," Fresh tears pooled in her eyes, "Realizing that she is gone and that she will never come back," Haruka's voice cracked.

It took a while for Haruka to calm down. She probably ruined Klaus's coat, but he didn't seem to care, he just let her cry. Her rationality gradually came back, and with it, the shame. Shame at being unable to control her emotions. Shame at being the silly girl who cried on the guy's shoulder. Shame at not being strong enough.

"I'm sorry," Haruka said, wiping her eyes and pushing Klaus away so he couldn't see her face. "How annoying it must be for you, having to put up with me."

Klaus grabbed her arm and made her look at him. "Do not apologize," he whispered, mad.

Haruka laughed without humor, "What do you mean? It's embarrassing to let you see me like this."

Klaus pulled her closer to him, "Nonsense. Yesterday I told you I was not going to run anymore. This is me not running." He pouted, and Haruka had to suppress a smile. What a dangerous power Klaus had to make her change moods in an instant. "Haruka, I told you I want to always be by your side. That includes the bad times as well."

"Thanks," she whispered, blushing furiously. This power dynamic was definitely not fair. "Let's eat, okay?"

It was evident that Haruka was trying to change the subject, but for some reason, Klaus went along with her with a smile, "Let me finish first."

They ate together, the little crying incident was long forgotten. Klaus asked about her farm, and Haruka asked about his perfumes. They talked even after the food was finished and the plates had been cleared. Haruka felt lighter, happier as if the tears had washed away the poison in her chest. Perhaps she should stop keeping everything to herself, and vent to someone once in a while.

"Ah, but look at the time. I should get going," said Klaus after a brief glance at the clock. Unconsciously, Haruka's hand shot up to grab hold of him. Klaus frowned, "What is wrong?"

Haruka mirrored his frown, saw what she had done, and hastily dropped her hand. "Ah, no-nothing." She then remembered that she had promised herself (sort of) to talk everything out, so she came clean. "I-I don't want you to go."

The blush that followed her words was not lost in Klaus, who smiled, "Why?" Keeping the amusement from his voice was hard.

Haruka blushed some more. Goddess, being honest was hard, "I keep thinking that I'll wake up anytime now..." She said in a small voice.

Klaus's eyes softened. Could she be any cuter? "I have to return home now. Imagine what the people would say when they see me returning in the morning with the same clothes!" Nothing. The town's people would say nothing. He knew from yesterday's experience. But he had already spent the night at Haruka's once, and it'd be a violation of the gentlemen's code to spend another one. Haruka gave him a small smile. "I will come back tomorrow, I promise."

With a hug that lasted a bit more than necessary, Klaus set off. Haruka watched him go with her arms tightly crossed across her chest. No matter what pretty words Klaus told her, the anxiety would never entirely disappear, not really. But he was trying, and so would she. "I'll go to town tomorrow," she promised herself.

* * *

It was the perfect day without a cloud in sight in the sky. Waves were crashing against the sand, seagulls were circling above them, and the Captain of the ship was waiting for them.

"Anytime soon, miss?" The Captain asked, tipping his hat in a courteous manner that suggested he wasn't pressuring at all, but Vaughn knew better.

"Shut up," Chelsea snapped back. Ouch, Vaughn shot an apologetic glance at the Captain, who just shrugged and leaned against the rail. Vaughn knew he would not leave without them, not after everything Chelsea had done for the Island. Heck, if Chelsea had asked for a private ride to the mainland, she would've probably gotten it.

Vaughn, who had luggage in one hand and his wife in the other, squeezed her hand. "It's okay, Chelsea. I do this all the time," he said in hopes of convincing hs wife to get on the ship.

"Yes, and every damn time I'm worried sick." She said through clenched teeth. Oh, how sweet. No. Focus, Vaughn! Chelsea closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Mom, wasn't it you who suggested this?" Ibuki called from the ship, leaning against the rails. Chelsea hissed, and Vaughn shot his son a glare to shut him up. "Sorry, sorry," Ibuki murmured, not sounding sorry at all and throwing his hands in the air. Good, the last thing Chelsea needs right now is her son's snark.

"Come on, Chelsea." Vaughn whispered into Chelsea's ear, "I'll be with you the entire time. You know I won't let anything happen to you." Vaughn heard Ibuki say something to the Captain, but he was sure the Captain wouldn't dare leave.

Chelsea looked at Vaughn, her eyes were filled with panic, "Vaughn, I- I don't think I can do this." She said, and Vaughn was taken aback. He had never seen her like this. "Maybe we shouldn't-" A wave crashed against the dock, making Chelsea yelp and bury her face against Vaughn's chest.

Vaughn drops the bags on the dock and wraps his arms around his wife. He frowns, he knows there's something more that Chelsea is not telling him. "Love, look at me," he said, separating Chelsea from him and cupping her face with his hands. Chelsea complied, and Vaughn physically flinched at the tears pooling in her eyes. "Remember the promise we made?" He asked, wiping some stray tears away.

Chelsea looked so overcome with emotion that Vaughn couldn't blame her when she just nodded. "Yes," Vaughn said, "I'll shoulder yours if you shoulder mine, right?" Chelsea nodded one more time. The movement made more tears fall from her eyes.

Of course, she remembers, he shouldn't even joke about her forgetting their promise, but Vaughn needed the confirmation. He recalled that day when mere attraction became unadulterated love. That day when his fate had been sealed.

Vaughn had been at his lowest. What had once been his life, was lying around him, shattered into pieces. In came Chelsea, sweet, sweet Chelsea. Even after all the horrible things he had done to her, she picked up every piece and told him 'I'll shoulder yours if you shoulder mine.'

After all those years, the memory still made his skin erupt into goosebumps. "Remember, love?" Vaughn asked again, desperate to make Chelsea understand.

"Yes, yes, yes," she let out in between sobs, her hands now above his.

"You've done so much for me," He touched his forehead to hers, "You've carried my world on your shoulders without complaining once," he tried to inject his voice with all the emotions that he knows words could never convey. "I love you so much," Chelsea was sobbing, and her knees were trembling so hard, Vaughn knew she would be on the floor in no time.

"I can't lose you," Chelsea said. Vaughn's eyes widened. Of course, how could he not see? She was afraid of losing him.

"I know you fear losing everything again," Vaugh says, remembering all the stories old Taro had told him about the wreckage that left Chelsea stranded on the Island all these years. "But believe me when I say that this fear will not prevent you from seeing your daughter, you hear me?" Chelsea looked at him with confused eyes. "This is me shouldering your fear, love." And with one fell swoop, he picked up Chelsea from the ground and threw her over his shoulder. "Ibuki, get the bags!" He barked to his son, who jumped into action at once.

"Vaughn! No! Let me down!" Chelsea shrieked, kicking and flailing around. They boarded the ship. Chelsea got a few good kicks in, but she was against a man who dealt with animals for a living, she was at a clear disadvantage. The Captain got the hint and started the ship.

"Vaughn, I swear to the Harvest Goddess, if you don't let me down this instant-" But Vaughn was tuning most of her screaming out. He knew she'd be mad. He was aware that she would probably hate him for a while, but he also knew that she didn't mean anything she was saying.

It took a while, but Vaughn finally let Chelsea go when they were a safe distance from the dock and swimming to the shore be achievable anymore. The second she was released, Chelsea shoved Vaughn away from her and stormed off to their room.

Ibuki whistled, "Well, she let you off easy," he said, and Vaughn had to agree. He had half expected Chelsea to attempt to throw him off the ship. Ibuki leaned against the rail and watched the ocean.

Vaughn looked at his son and realized that this was the second time Ibuki had left the Island. Sadness stabbed him from nowhere. Hadn't it been Ibuki who wanted to leave the Island and find a life of his own? Was he jealous of Haruka- Oh? Oooh. Yes, that made a lot of sense, in a way. Vaughn smirked, Chelsea knew this. The point of this trip unraveled before his eyes.

"Will you go see her?" Ibuki asked after a while.

"Of course I will," Vaughn replied a little harsher than he intended because why would his son even ask that?

Ibuki gave him a feeble laugh, and they fell into silence. Vaughn took this as his cue to leave, but Ibuki spoke, "Dad, I..." Vaughn stopped and turned to look at his son. Ibuki hesitated, shaking his head, "It's nothing, go." Ibuki waved Vaughn goodbye and walked towards the dock.

An exchange of words wasn't necessary, Vaughn could make a pretty good guess about what Ibuki was about to tell him. Pity Ibuki backed down. It could've been an interesting conversation he could later share with Chelsea. Oh, right, Chelsea. Vaughn sighed, it was time to face the consequences of his actions. He ambled around, who knows, he'd probably die in the next few minutes, might as well enjoy the last of his time.

Sonner than he expected, Vaughn reached the door to their room. He opened it slowly, with care, with plenty of time to dodge any objects that came flying at his face. Finally, the door was wide open, but nothing came hurling at him, how odd. Perhaps Chelsea had calmed herself already.

The room was dark, but Vaugh decided against switching the lights on, Chelsea preferred the dark. He looked around the room. Nothing was out of place. He had half expected his wife to turn the place upside down in revenge, but she didn't, and that was a good sign. Tiny shallow breaths were coming from the other side of the bed, so Vaughn followed the noisy. And sure enough, there was Chelsea, curled up in the place between the bed and the wall.

"Chelsea?" Vaughn asked in the softest voice he could muster. Chelsea's head snapped up, and the moment her eyes caught his, her features softened.

In an instant, their arms are around each other with her face snuggled against his neck and his face buried in her hair. "Oh thank Goddess, I thought you wouldn't come." She said against his skin. Vaughn frowned, why did everyone think that way? "I'm sorry for hitting you."

Vaughn chuckled, "I'm sorry for manhandling you and bringing you on a ship without your consent." Regarding their actions in the last two hours, Vaughn knew his was worse.

Chelsea shook her head, and looked at him, "No, I wanted this." She buried her head in the crease of his neck again, "Thank you," Her voice is muffled and small, but Vaughn heard. He always heard her.

"What am I here for but for lending you my strength," Vaughn said, touching his forehead to hers. Goddess, he loved this woman.

"How about for loving me?" She gave him a teasing peck on the lips.

Vaughn hummed in appreciation, "That's a given,"

Chelsea laughed, a magical sound. "You're perfect, you know that?"

His whole body warmed. He loved Chelsea, and he loved Chelsea's way with words. She knew just what to say and when to say it. "I try to be what you deserve."

"Can't you phrase that a little differently? You're always so cheesy," Chelsea giggled, and Vaughn smirked. Of course, the queen of cheesiness was telling him he was being cheesy. Whatever, she loved it when he was cheesy.

"Fine, I guess I try to be the man I'd want Haruka to marry," he said, realizing that that was exactly what he wanted. "Better?"

"Better," She hugged him tighter, "But you totally stole that from somewhere."

"That is a very probable yes."

Comfortable silence fell between them, and for a while, they relished in each other's presence. After seconds, minutes, hours, Vaughn didn't know, Chelsea spoke, "I hope she finds someone who'll treasure her."

Vaughn sighed. He was aware that this wasn't usual motherly concern of when was her daughter going to give her grandchildren. Chelsea cared about Haruka's happiness as much as her own, perhaps even more, "Yeah, me too."


	22. Surprises

The tables were set, the kitchen was prepared, and Raeger's 'Welcome, customer' smile was shining brighter than the morning sun; he was ready to open for the day. He walked towards the door but hesitated when he saw the neat little package on his counter. He sighed, old habits died hard.

It had been two days since he sent Klaus to check on Haruka, and he hadn't heard anything from them in that time. He tried to not think about it, but the guilt that he had been the one to drive Klaus back to his reclusion gnawed at him. He'd hoped that Klaus would be the one to help Haruka get back on her feet, but without new information, he had to deem the plan as a failure.

Raeger's mind drifted to thoughts of Klaus and Haruka. Who would've thought that Haruka would fall for Klaus? They were polar opposites! Not that Raeger knew all that much about Klaus. Actually, Raeger realized he knew close to nothing about Klaus. Huh, how odd. Raeger made a promise to himself to get to know Klaus better. That was _if_ Iris let him anywhere near Klaus.

"Oh well," Raeger murmured as he grabbed the doorknob. "I'll have to think of another way..." He twisted the knob and pushed the door open.

_THUD._

"Ouch!"

"Sorry!" Raeger yelped. He had never had any customer wait for him at his door. Scratch that, Fritz had done that one time he was 'starving to death.' The person behind the door stood up, and Raeger was able to swing the door open.

Raeger liked watching TV, but he held a dislike for soap operas. He found them too dramatic to be enjoyable. Once, he watched a woman drop a plate out of genuine surprise. That didn't happen in real life. At least that was what he thought until the rag he'd been holding slipped from his grasp. Given, it wasn't as flashy as having a plate shatter in a million pieces, but it was close enough.

"Haruka?" Raeger asked to no one in particular. He needed to voice his thoughts to make it more believable. Because it just wasn't plain old Haruka standing before him. It was _his_ Haruka, his bright and bubbly friend with the blue hair and bright eyes.

Before Raeger can say anything else, Haruka bowed deeply and thrust a bottle of green something in his hands in an amazing feat of coordination that he didn't know she was capable of. "I'm sorry!" She shouted, "I've caused you so much trouble. I need you to know that I'm incredibly grateful to you, and I hope you can forgive my attitude." Haruka straightened up, thought for a second, and then proceeded to bow once more, "I'm also apologizing on behalf of Pumpkin! He wants you to know that he will make it up to you in one way or another."

Words escape Raeger. It might be the first time something or someone has stunned him into silence. Haruka straightened up again and threw him a sheepish smile. A smile so natural and familiar that he threw his arms around her without a second thought. And so Raeger hugged her, and it was like she never disappeared. All those days she spent avoiding him, all those hours he worried about her, everything faded.

"You're so stupid," Raeger said into her hair. He didn't cry, but he was damn near the edge.

"I am, aren't I?" Haruka hugged him back. "You didn't deserve this."

"It's okay," Raeger said, and he wasn't surprised to find that he meant it. He figured he'd be mad whenever Haruka decided to come back. He figured he'd make her work for his forgiveness, but seeing her like this, all he could do was embrace her because that's what friends do.

"I'll make it up to you!" Haruka said the moment Raeger released her. "I'll cook for you!"

Raeger grimaced. "You'll only cook for me when I want to die, thank you very much."

Haruka pouted, "I've been told I make an excellent bouillabaisse."

Raeger wanted to say that Klaus was biased and didn't count until he remembered that he sent Klaus. Holy moly, Klaus did it. He'd have to give the man his thanks later, but for now, "Hey, come in, and I'll make you a special comeback breakfast."

Shaking her head, Haruka said, "Thanks, but I'll have to pass." She scratched the back of her head, "I kind of haven't finished my chores...I just thought that apologizing to you was more important."

Oh, a farmer had just told him that apologizing to him was more important than her chores, how cool was that? Haruka basically said he was more important than her livelihood. Raeger was moved, but he wasn't about to tell Haruka that. "Right, but you have to come for dinner. Promise?"

The smile that he both loved and thought was so stupid appeared on her face, "Promise. Goddess knows I can't cook to save my life." Haruka turned around and left, hair flowing in the wind. Raeger watched her go with something he could only describe as pride swelling in his chest.

* * *

The smell of eggs wafted through the room and woke Klaus up. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and woke up. The smell of breakfast could only mean one thing, Iris. He changed into his usual attire and was out the door in record time.

"Good morning," Klaus said, sniffing the air, delicious.

"Morning," chirped Iris from behind the stove. "I'm making breakfast."

"I can see that," Klaus said with a smile. He crossed the kitchen and took some plates from the cabinet. He set the table without iris telling him to because he knew the drill. One would cook, the other one would set the table and do the dishes. It was their unspoken agreement.

Once the food was ready, Iris served it, making sure that Klaus got a healthy amount of everything. Ever since the little incident when he ate his entire weight in candy, chips, and cup noodles, Iris had been watching what he ate like a hawk. Apparently, he put on a few pounds, and that was 'dangerous' at his age because of high blood pressure, cholesterol, and whatnot.

Still, Iris cooking was delicious so he couldn't, and wouldn't, complain. They ate in silence, only broken by Klaus complementing the food, or by idle chatter about the weather that died down fast.

After a while, Iris cleared her throat, "So, where were you yesterday?" She casually, or as casually as she could, inquired. Klaus almost choked. Of course, this meal wasn't free. The price was information.

"Out," Klaus said, taking another bite of his food. He knew this wouldn't convince Iris, but he also wanted to know what resources Iris would use to get the information out of him. Torture? Blackmail? Guilt?

"Huh," Iris shrugged, "I was just surprised that you were out and about." She looked dejected like he had rejected her invitation to prom or refused a trip to the amusement park. Guilt it is.

Klaus sighed at her lack of subtlety. He pondered for a moment the option of brushing her off and seeing what other tactics she would use but decided against it. Iris had been the friend who lifted him up, she deserved to know.

"I was with Haruka," He said, imitating Iris casual tone, knowing that the information was anything but casual.

It was Iris's turn to choke on her food. She coughed, and Klaus offered her assistance which she brushed away, "You were where?" Another cough, "Haruka? What do you mean?" She babbled another string of questions.

The situation was beyond amusing. Klaus had never seen Iris lose her cool. "Iris, calm yourself,"

"You calm yourself!" She threw her arms into the air, "When were you planning on telling me this?" Her voice was hurt, but there was an undertone of excitement that told Klaus she was glad.

"After breakfast, maybe." Klaus had spent the entire night both thinking about Haruka and how to break the news to Iris. A million scenarios passed through his head. He would've preferred sometime when Iris wasn't eating or drinking anything to avoid the choking. So much for his careful planning.

"Maybe," Iris muttered bitterly. "Tell me everything! With details!" She demanded.

Her childish antics amused Klaus to no end, but he complied. He told her everything that happened since the moment Raeger knocked on his door. Iris hung onto his every word, only interrupting to remind Klaus that she had said that Raeger wasn't as bad as Klaus thought.

When the story ended, Iris's face broke into a radiant smile. Klaus laughed. He was glad that Iris was taking all of this so well. Not

he thought Iris would be opposed to this, but she did tend to be a little bit overprotective.

"So, how does it feel to finally be dating the one you've been pining after?" Iris asked, leaning on her hands and wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

Klaus frowned, "What do you mean 'dating'?"

If Iris could've faceplanted on the table without having a nasty bruise later, she would've. She stared at him in disbelief. "You are dating, right?" A spark of understanding lit her eyes, "Oh, unless you are in a committed relationship. That's even better!" She clapped her hands, but Klaus was still frowning. They never settled on something, did they? After everything that happened, they didn't talk about their relationship at all. They kind of slipped back into their old friendship.

"I- We- we are not in a relationship," Klaus said and was surprised to find that he wished his words weren't true.

Iris stared at him again, this time with the sternness of a mother who just found his kid trying to sneak a cookie out of the cookie jar. "What do you mean? Wasn't that the point of yesterday? You even stayed the night for Goddess sake!"

Yes, he did stay the night, but it wasn't a romantic thing at all, was it? He was just helping out a _friend._ Ugh, the word didn't quite fit. Were they more than friends? Did Haruka think they were? Were relationships this complicated? "I do not know..." He answered truthfully.

Iris's eyes softened, "Well, you'll just have to ask her next time you see her, okay?"

Klaus wanted to say that no, he wouldn't ask such an embarrassing question, but he remembered that Haruka had been truthful to him so he should return the favor. "Okay."

* * *

The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and Haruka was walking around town with a spring in her step. Plenty of people came to her and welcomed her back. Some of them even begging her not to disappear again. Melanie, in particular, offered to help on the farm if that meant she would have more time to play. The fact that the girliest of girls in town offered to milk a cow for her made Haruka euphoric.

After a while of going around town and doing business as usual, Haruka headed towards the Depot. The day after Eda's funeral, Veronica had come to her house to announce that a new vendor was going to start coming. Haruka had grunted a reply that meant she was aware, but she just didn't care. Now that Haruka was feeling better, the excitement at a new trading partner made her skin erupt into goosebumps.

The Depot was packed with people, some of them Haruka identified as tourists. She smiled, this will only do wonders to the town's economy. She advanced towards the only vendor who she was unfamiliar with.

"Howdy, name's Kenneth," The vendor said. He seemed like the type of person who was easygoing and good natured. "Been hearing a lot of stories about you from the other vendors," he tipped his hat at her.

"Good things I hope," she said, already hoping that the man didn't mean Asche.

"Yeah, they say you're a big spender," he winked at her, and Haruka laughed. "Best compliment one can get around here." This guy definitely talked to Asche.

"Well, let's see what you've got," Haruka said, leaning over the counter to examine Kenneth's wares. He didn't have much in terms of crops, but Kenneth had blueprints, and Haruka _loved_ blueprints. What's even better, Kenneth had a facility for sale.

The Spice Factory was expensive, but once again, so were most investments. The Spice Factory might be a great addition to her farm, and she had all the extra space too... Haruka stopped. There was no time for depressing thoughts. "I'll get all your blueprints, and the pattern and accessory sets, please."

Kenneth nearly choked. He had evidently underestimated just how much of a 'big spender' Haruka was. Haruka paid for everything and, in the spur of the moment and because Asche was nowhere to be seen, sold her entire stock of golden cloth. Kenneth looked like he could die of happiness. "Welp, now I know you mean business, kiddo." He patted the neatly folded golden cloth, "You and I are gonna get along just fine."

"I think so too." Haruka swung her now lighter bag over her shoulder, "Mail me when you restock, please?"

"With pleasure," Kenneth tipped his hat at her once more. "I'll tell all the other traders I know about you."

Haruka was about to bid Kenneth goodbye when she heard a voice behind her, "Well, you were never one to save money." The familiarity in the voice almost gave her a severe case of whiplash when she quickly turned her head.

A couple of paces behind her, standing with his hands in the jean's pockets, was her brother, Ibuki. For a second, Haruka thought she was seeing things, but no, that was Ibuki's voice, and the man before her looked a lot like her brother. Perhaps blonder and a little more muscular, but the boyish grin and purples eyes were still there.

"Ibuki!" Haruka exclaimed, running towards her brother and launching herself at him. She knew he'd catch her.

As expected, Ibuki caught Haruka in mid air and spun her around. Haruka's giggles resounded through the Depot as she steadied herself by wrapping her arms around Ibuki's neck.

"Stop! I'm getting dizzy!" Ibuki stopped and lowered Haruka to his eye level.

"Better?" He asked in a deep voice that made Haruka smile. How manly her brother had become in a few short years.

"Yup," Haruka took a deep breath, and now for the good part, "Why are you here? How did you get here?" A string of a million questions left her mouth in rapid succession. What? When? Why? Where? How?

Ibuki waved his free hand in front of her in a silent plea to slow down. "Calm down, Haru." Haruka grew silent, but her face was still burning with curiosity. So in order to please his sister, Ibuki added, "One question. The most important one."

The little crease that formed on Haruka's forehead when she was deep in thought was still as adorable as ever. She tapped her finger to her chin. "What's up with the hair?" She asked after a brief moment of consideration.

Ibuki barked a laugh. Was that the most important matter at hand? Ibuki was almost glad to see nothing had changed with her sister. "Is that really the only answer you want?"

Haruka smacked him hard on the chest, and Ibuki almost dropped her in revenge. "It's the most immediate!"

"Sure, yeah." Ibuki chuckled. "I just took a leaf out of your book. Does it look bad?"

Haruka ran a hand through his hair, "It looks great. You look so handsome." She said in awe. "We match." She added as an afterthought.

"Ah, yes. That was a total coincidence, I swear." Haruka giggled, and Ibuki rested his forehead against her. "I've missed you."

Just as Haruka was about to respond, someone cleared his throat behind them. Haruka tore her gaze from her brother's and said, "Ah, _Klaus_."

* * *

The door swung shut after Klaus bid Iris goodbye and thanked her for the long, long talk. He told her he would head towards the Depot since he hadn't paid the new trader his respects, and, yes, because that was the most likely place Haruka would be.

Talking to Iris about Haruka made Klaus realize that it was of extreme importance that he sorted their relationship out. Were they friends? Were they dating? Were they... _lovers?_ Personally, Klaus was rooting for the latter, but he would be fine with anything.

The Depot came into view, and his heart sped up. He felt like a teenager in love. Actually, scratch that, he _was_ an old fool in love. This couldn't possibly be good for his heart.

In a move that defied all odds, Klaus spotted the object of his affections instantly. Haruka was just a few (quite a few, actually) paces away, looking at the wares of the new trader. Klaus smiled. He considered himself a romantic, but when he caught himself thinking that fate always seemed to bring them together, he found it a bit cheesy.

Nevertheless, Haruka was a short distance away, waiting for him. Before he could call out to her, her head snapped to the side. Klaus's heart skipped a bit. Could it be that she sensed his presence? Could that be the stupidest thought he'd ever had? Whatever.

However, much to his dismay, Haruka shouted a name that was not his. "Ibuki," she said. Haruka then ran towards the man Klaus supposed was Ibuki and leaped into his arms. Klaus felt a stab of jealousy, a feeling he was now well acquainted with, when the man lifted Haruka over his head.

Yes, he was jealous because Ibuki was touching Haruka, but he was also jealous because he lifted her with ease. He wished he could do that too. Haruka seemed to like it, at the very least. Carrying Haruka was fine, but the type of lift Ibuki was doing was a little out of his muscle's reach.

They talked and laughed, and Klaus found that he didn't like that one bit. His feet propelled him forward. He got closer and closer until he heard Ibuki say "I've missed you," while resting his forehead against Haruka's.

Something inside of Klaus snapped. He cleared his throat loudly (how rude of him) and both youngsters looked at him. Klaus thought for a second about how hysterical he must look. An old man chastising two younglings about public displays of affection.

"Ah, Klaus." Haruka beamed at him with a smile that Klaus wasn't sure was all his doing. Still, his stomach filled with butterflies.

On the other hand, Ibuki glared at him. "Who is he?" Klaus got a good look at Ibuki and noticed that Haruka had grown taller. No, wait. She wasn't taller, Ibuki was still holding her up a couple of inches from the ground!

Somehow, this annoyed Klaus even more, so he answered Ibuki before Haruka could. "I am right here, you could just ask me."

Ibuki's eyebrows shot up in surprise. Apparently, he didn't think Klaus had it in him to answer back. Haruka was surprised too, her eyes darting from Klaus to her brother and back. Perhaps she was holding back a mocking 'Ohhhh,' but who knew?

The tension was evident to every passerby. Klaus was looking at Ibuki, and Ibuki was glaring back. Haruka looked like she was deciding whether to break this up or let the boys handle it. Haruka didn't have much time to decide because Ibuki spoke, "I'll take the bait, who are you?"

Klaus frowned. He didn't like the words coming out of Ibuki's mouth, nor the way he said it. There were cockiness and defiance in his tone. So Klaus answered in the only way he could, as a gentleman. "It is basic manners to introduce oneself first before asking for another's name." Klaus heard Haruka stifle a laugh, and his own smile widened.

"Manners like the ones you are displaying right now, Mr. Fancy Pants?" Ibuki bites back, and Haruka let out a soft 'Ohhhhhh.'

Klaus sighed, just what was he doing? He had engaged in a verbal fight with another man because Haruka was a little happy with him? When had he become so irrational? Klaus decided to be the better man since Ibuki was obviously rearing to take him on. "My name is Klaus. I am a perfumist, and I am Haruka's..." He hesitated for a moment. What should he say? Haruka's friend? Lover? Guy she hangs out with and occasionally gives her moral support?

His hesitation lasted a moment too long because Haruka intervened, "And Haruka's friend." She offered with a smile Klaus had learned to recognize, was fake.

Ibuki realized this as well, which didn't sit well with Klaus, and let out a spiteful "Oh, I see," with a playful smile on his lips.

"Yep," Haruka said, "And Klaus, this is Ibuki, my -"

"Friend," Ibuki interrupted, and Haruka shot him a look.

The insides of Klaus clenched. He had hoped Ibuki to be a long lost relative of Haruka's. A third cousin first removed or something. Anything that would mean any attraction between them was not possible. No such luck, apparently.

"Ah, pleasure to meet you, Ibuki." Klaus offered his hand to shake.

"Yeah, the pleasure's all mine." Ibuki took his hand and gripped it tightly. Klaus had heard about such encounters. Chance meetings when two men would try to prove their dominance over each other with their firm handshake. He had always thought himself above those petty matters. Klaus never imagined the day he would be gripping another man's hand with increasing force. But here he was, trying to crush Ibuki's fingers with a pleasant smile on his face.

Haruka's amusement was palpable, but when she saw Klaus's fingers turn purple, she decided to intervene. "Let's break this up, shall we?"

Ibuki smirked, "Hey, why are you trying to spoil the di-" 'Ibuki!' "measuring contest?" Klaus frowned, how crude. Still, he couldn't deny it has been a contest. A contest he had clearly lost because not only his hand was aching, but Ibuki _was still holding Haruka up._ How much strength can one guy have? "Whatever," Ibuki said, "we should do this again."

The look on Haruka's face suggested that she could go her entire life without watching the two of them doing this again, but Klaus agreed. "Of course, whenever you happen to be free."

"Sure thing, mister." Ibuki sneered, "I have to take Haru now, though. You know," He pressed her against his body, "a lot of catching up to do." If his suggestive words weren't enough, he added a wink. Ibuki seemed to be going out of his way to anger Klaus. Haruka noticed this too because she smacked Ibuki on the chest.

With a flash of movement, Ibuki dropped Haruka, choosing to hug her from behind in a way that Klaus had never gotten to do. "We have to say goodbye now," Ibuki said while lacing his fingers with Haruka's. Klaus's anger flared both at the action and the fact that Haruka did nothing to stop Ibuki.

Pity that his anger was almost immediately abated when Haruka turned around and said, "I'll see you later!"

With the promise of seeing Haruka again, Klaus is left alone, wondering how on Earth was he supposed to compete with someone like Ibuki.

* * *

"He's a good guy, you know?" Haruka said, swinging their hands between each other like when they were kids. "You shouldn't have pushed him like that..."

Ibuki snorted and twirled Haruka around. They were getting a lot of curious stares from both residents and tourists, but Haruka didn't care. She was here with her brother, and that's what mattered. "There's nothing there Haruka."

Haruka frowned, "You don't know that," she said cryptically, knowing exactly which buttons to push.

Ibuki exhaled in exasperation, "He can't even call himself your lover. That's not the type of man I want with my little sister." Ouch, Ibuki knew which buttons to push too. The memory of Klaus hesitating about their relationship still stung.

"Just...Don't be too rough, okay?"

"Can't make any promises," Ibuki smirked. This family vacation was going to be fun.


	23. Ibuki

The sun was rising in the sky, and his human was long gone. Off to stab the dirt, pet the other animals, and do whatever humans did throughout the day. At this time in the morning, Pumpkin would usually be roaming around the farm, watching his human from the rooftops, searching for shinies, or catching fish. But not today. No, today Pumpkin stayed behind to watch  _the stranger_.

Last night, his human had brought the stranger into their house, going on and on about how Pumpkin would love the stranger, and how the stranger was bound to love Pumpkin too. But his human was wrong, Pumpkin didn't like the stranger. He didn't like the stranger's face, the way he smelled, nor the rough hands that had attempted to pet him. Pumpkin hated everything about the stranger and no words from his human could change that.

The sheets rose up and down with every breath the stranger took. Pumpkin was half tempted to jump down and scratch him to death, but his human had told him to behave, so Pumpkin was behaving. Resigned, Pumpkin looked out the windows towards the clear sky. Guard duty was difficult. He couldn't go anywhere he wanted, and he had to be alert at all times. How did dogs manage to do this every time?

The stranger stirred, turned, and his arm fell to dangle on the side of the bed. Ah, easy prey. Pumpkin's tail swung from side to side at the sight. Just one little scratch wouldn't hurt, would it? The stranger was practically begging for it! His human wouldn't be angry at him, right? Pumpkin tensed his legs, butt wiggling in the air. The stranger's fingers twitched, and Pumpkin leaped with his claws out towards the unsuspecting hand.

 

* * *

 

 

'Woken up by a cat mauling his hand,' was something Ibuki would have never thought he would experience in his lifetime. But there he was, swatting away the cat that Haruka swore was 'adorable' and 'obedient.' The little devil scurried away, meowing loudly. Ibuki didn't speak cat, but he could've sworn the animal was laughing at him. "Damn you," he muttered through gritted teeth while he cradled his injured hand.

The scratches weren't deep, but they were painful and rapidly swelling. This was the exact reason why Ibuki didn't like cats, they were nuts. He hurried to the sink to wash his wounds, and a couple minutes later, he was as good as new. At least that was what he told himself while his hand throbbed in pain. Yes, good as new.

A good farmer rose with the sun, so Ibuki wasn't surprised to find an empty house. Haruka was probably going through her day, watering crops, brushing cattle, and whatnot. There was a plate of food with the label 'breakfast' on the table. Under normal circumstances, Ibuki would think twice about eating his sister's cooking, but Haruka had been living alone for a while now. Surely, she would've learned how to feed herself, right?

As it turned out, the food was not just edible, but delicious as well. Ten bites and a burp later, Ibuki cleared the plate. "Ready!" He said, standing up in one swift movement that sent the chair backward, and the cat scurrying away. Heh, served him right.

The morning sun greeted him, warming his skin in a way the Island's sun had never done. Ibuki looked around. The crops were already watered, and some of the animals were grazing outside. He spotted Haruka struggling to push a cow outside. "Hey!" He called, jogging towards his sister. Haruka looked at him, and the dazzling smile she gave him made Ibuki forget his hand's pain. "Need some help?" He asked, putting his hands on the cow's backside and pushing.

"Thanks," Haruka huffed and frowned when the cow cooperated with Ibuki much more than it had cooperated with her. "Well, you always had a way with animals." She said, wiping the sweat from her brow. "Just like Dad."

"I'd rather have Mom's green thumb, which you obviously inherited," Ibuki pushed the cow towards the patches of grass where the other animals were. "Everything I touch dies." He grumbled, earning himself a giggle from his sister.

"You are so dramatic, not everything you touch dies." Haruka rolled her eyes, and even though Ibuki agreed, he wouldn't say that aloud.

In reality, Ibuki was more than capable of growing crops. He had once begged his parents to put him in charge of tending the plants for a whole season in order to work on his green thumb. His parents had allowed it. So, for the entirety of Summer, he did nothing but water crops and visit Taro for tips on the weather. Ibuki managed to keep everything alive, but the resulting fruits, or in this case vegetables, of his labor were nowhere near his mother's usual quality. It had been one of their worst seasons, and Ibuki hadn't touched a plant since. ERASE

The siblings worked in unison. Ibuki had almost forgotten how easy working with Haruka was. It was almost as if their minds were synched, which, depending on who you talked to, was probably true.

The sun was halfway across the sky when they finished Haruka's long list of chores. "I can't believe you go through this every day," Ibuki said, a little more out of breath that he would care to admit. Managing a farm was hard work, but adding what Haruka had called 'rental fields' to the mix was just insane.

"Well, Winter is always the slowest season, you know that." Ibuki rolled his eyes. There was nothing slow about this. "Let's go see our parents!" Haruka exclaimed before darting off in the direction of the town.

"Wait!" Ibuki ran after her, wondering just where she got all that energy from.

"Yes, and the tourism has been on the rise this past year. And I mean, who wouldn't want to visit this town, isn't it lovely?" The innkeeper was telling their mother when they arrived.

"Yes, it's a quaint little town." His mother replied, shuffling from side to side. Ibuki suppressed a laugh. It was always amusing watching his mother make just enough conversation to seem polite. His mother's clear discomfort didn't stop the innkeeper, though. He looked like the type who could carry entire conversations on his shoulders.

"Mom!" Ibuki called. He might as well end his mother's suffering.

"Kids!" His mother's face broke into a grin. "What kept you? Your father and I were wondering where our little tour guide was."

"Apparently, Winter is a lot more work here than it is on the Island." He said while secretly enjoying the look of disbelief on the innkeeper's face. Based on his reaction, Veronica had not told the innkeeper (Mario? Maurice?) about Haruka's family visiting. Back in the Island, this piece of gossip would've spread around like wildfire.

"Ah, Haruka! Is this your mother?" Maurice asked, and Haruka nodded. "Ah, yes. I do see the resemblance." Maurice mused. Ibuki could've sworn he heard the innkeeper mutter 'Pretty eyes' under his breath, but he couldn't be entirely sure because his mother exclaimed 'Vaughn!' as his father came down the stairs.

Out of the corner of his eye, Ibuki saw Maurice stiffen. It didn't matter if the reaction was out of fear or anticipation, the truth remained that his father was an intimidating man. He always wore a black cowboy outfit complete with boots and yes, even a hat. The look was nicely tied up by the signature scowl he always wore when addressing strangers. That scowl, of course, melted every time he laid eyes on their mother.

For as long as he remembered, Ibuki had admired his parents' relationship. He had seen them fight a grand total of five times in all his life. And the fights weren't even that serious. Three out of the five fights were because his mother wanted to plant carrots during Fall. He was sure that had to be some kind of accomplishment.

Ibuki had even asked his parents the secret to their everlasting and perfect relationship. His father had answered with three simple words, "I love her," he'd said. Cute, but not the answer that Ibuki was looking for. People often threw the word 'love' around, and while he was sure his father meant it, it wasn't the response Ibuki had wanted.

His father had always been a man of few words, so he asked his mother instead, hoping that she would fill in the blanks of their relationship. So, sweaty and with a blush that spread all the way to the back of his neck, Ibuki had asked his mother to reveal their secret. His mom regarded him with curious eyes that softened when she saw his expression. "We've been through enough, I think." Was her answer. It was cryptic, and it raised more questions that he could care count, but somehow, he understood.

The secret to an everlasting love was hardship. Only through the trials of life could a relationship bloom. Of course, sometimes those trials broke lovers apart, and that was okay. That just meant they weren't meant to be. His father, like Haruka, might say that it was the power of love. But Ibuki and his mother knew better.

"If you'll excuse us, Maurice," Haruka said, taking her parents' hands into her own. "I am going to show my parents around." With one last glance at Maurice's flabbergasted face, they left the building.

As Haruka showed them around, Ibuki started to notice something. Oak Tree Town was a nice place, with nice shops, and nice people. Just...nice. There was nothing that could pose a threat to Haruka's well-being, but there was nothing that looked like  _fun_.

"What do you do around here?" Ibuki asked as they toured the Depot that they had seen the day before.

"I work," Haruka said, cocking her head to the side in a silent 'What do you mean?'

There was a small clearing that could host a nice picnic, but most of the land seemed to be targeted towards farming. There was no forest to explore, no jungle to go on adventures to; there wasn't even a mine to get lost in. To put it simply, Oak Tree Town was a boring place.

"I can't believe you don't get fed up with this place," Ibuki murmured while their parents talked to the trader of the Silk Country.

Haruka frowned, "What do you mean?"

"There's nothing fun to do around here!" Ibuki crossed his arms over his chest. There weren't even that many people walking around.

Haruka shot him a dirty look. "Yes, there is!"

"Where? The Grain Field? No, wait, I bet the bees in the Honey Field pose a real challenge."

That earned him a smack on the arm, "Ibuki, stop it! I really like it here."

"I'm not saying you don't," Ibuki explained, "All I'm saying is I don't get why, you know?" Haruka rolled her eyes at him for the fourth time in the day. "It's just a town with a bunch of farmland attached to it. What's the point?"

Haruka sighed, "The point is running around and being greeted by everyone." She took a deep breath, "The point is drinking tea with Iris every Friday, playing 'Extreme Tag' with Fritz, eating Raeger's delicious cooking, and spending the afternoons with-"

"I get it, I get it!" Ibuki interrupted. The passion behind his sister's voice was a little too much. It made him feel...unwanted? Replaced? Ridiculous, he was feeling jealous of people he hadn't even met.

Maybe Haruka sensed that too because she was about to open her mouth when the Silk Country trader interrupted her. "Hey, Haruka!"

His sister turned in surprise, "Asche! Hey, my parents treating you alright?"

"Are you kidding me? Your mother bought my entire stock of seeds. Said she'd never seen some of them before!" Ibuki glanced at their mother, and sure enough, she browsing the Cabin Country's wares while carrying multiple bags.

"Yeah, well, that's my mother! Always thinking about the farm."

"I guess I know who you take after," Asche reached behind her and took out a brown unlabeled package. "Anyways, your order came just in time. Here you go, the world's best coco-"

"Coconuts!" Haruka exclaimed as she tore the package from Asche's hands and stuffed it in her backpack. "World's best coconuts!"

Asche shot her a confused look but stayed silent. Perhaps his sister's erratic behavior was something the trader saw on a daily basis. But Ibuki knew better. Haruka was trying to lie to him. "Coconuts, ha?" Ibuki said, a sly grin spreading across his lips as Haruka nodded. "I thought you hated coconuts."

Haruka blushed but kept her ground. "Well, aren't you the one always telling me to try the things I hate?"

Ibuki sighed, "That's not what I-"

Haruka shot her hands into the air, silencing him. "Anyway! Thanks for everything Asche, but we have to get going. We still haven't gone to the Restaurant and it's getting late!"

Asche smiled at Haruka with a knowing glint in her eye. Ibuki felt a pang of annoyance. He had always been the one who understood Haruka the best. How could a trader know more than him? "Sure, Haruka. I'll see you around then," Asche said, walking back to her stall.

Ibuki wanted to drill his sister for answers, but their parents chose that very moment to finish their shopping. "Did I hear something about a Restaurant?" Their mother asked.

"Perfect timing. Maybe we could have dinner there?" Their father asked, putting the rest of the bags on the floor.

"Ah, yeah! Dinner sounds like a great idea." Their father surveyed the Depot, but Ibuki caught their mother giving Haruka the same confused look he did. If dinner had never been on Haruka's mind, then why did she need to go to the Restaurant?

When Haruka didn't notice their silent questioning, their mother pursed her lips. "There are so many interesting items here, aren't there Vaughn?" She said, browsing their new purchases.

"Yes, there are. Perhaps we should make a stop at the Inn to drop everything off?"

"I'm curious, Dad," Ibuki said, trying to contain his laughter. "Which ones are yours?"

"So funny, Ibuki." His mother rolled her eyes.

His father shrugged, "It doesn't matter, now does it?" He embraced their mother, "What's yours is mine, and what's mine is yours, isn't it?" How could a man that could kill somebody with a glare say such sappy things? Apparently, his mother didn't mind it because she buried her face in their father's chest. "However, for transparency's sake. That's mine." He pointed at a small paper bag that paled in comparison to the rest.

"Vaughn!" Their mother exclaimed, but the four of them laughed as they made their way to the Restaurant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I just want to thank everyone who has stuck with this story until now. Life has been kicking my butt for the past months, but I want to reassure everyone that I'm back (: Please enjoy! And again, a big thank you for every single one of you who read this fic :D

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I'm new to the site and new to writing fanfiction, any criticism is welcome (:


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